R6 Extraction will be the next hot Tom Clancy‘s game next year, and Ubisoft is finally ready to share more details about their upcoming title. Through a press release and a new gameplay trailer, Ubisoft shared the details about the new Ubisoft Originals title. Let's break down everything we know so far about R6 Extraction, mostly through the new information shared with us in the trailer.
Extraction is a mainline Rainbow Six Title, acts as Rainbow Six Siege sequel
Rainbow Six Siege will be directly related to Extraction, with many of the R6 Siege operators returning as playable characters in R6 Extraction. The operators are part of REACT – Rainbow Exogenus Analysis & Containment Team – a highly specialized and outfitted organization to face the enemies of the game – the alien Archæan. While R6 Siege has been mostly light in terms of story in-game, Extraction will have a deeper plot, explaining what happened and why we find ourselves in this situation.
Big Numbers – 18 Operators, 69 Weapons, 25 Gadgets
Rainbow Six Extraction will also be featuring a lot of content and customizability. Apart from the mix of both old and new gadgets, there will be a whole array of weapons you could use in your tactical missions. The game will feature 13 high-stakes missions, played across a combination of 12 ever-evolving maps. There will be 13 enemy archetypes that will have different habits and abilities. All in all, the game features a lot of content that can make each run feel unique. Ubisoft promises that the game will have “endless replayability”, which is quite frankly a tall order. We're still open to having Ubisoft try that for R6 Extraction, though. We just hope that they can deliver on their promise.
13 Enemy Types: Sower, Tormentor, Lurker, Bloater, Apex, Proteans
Ubisoft says that the game will have 13 different enemy types, ranging from the peon-like Sowers to the daunting Apex. Each enemy archetype will have different behaviors and attacks in patterns, making your team adapt on the fly. Your tactical prowess will be tested when facing different combinations of enemies.
The Sowers lay traps that can bind and blind you, making you double-check where you're going. Tormentors throw countless projectiles at your team and can shapeshift in and out of Sprawl to attack you unawares. Lurkers buffs other Archæans, making itself and others invisible. Bloaters explode upon death and deal toxic damage to humans – so sometimes they come in droves and attack you up close, daring you to shoot. Finally, the Apex controls large armies of the Archæan, showing you who is the real boss in the area.
Finally, there are the Proteans. They only appear in the Singularity, where you will encounter the most dangerous enemies. The Proteans shapeshift and appear like other REACT Operators, having their skillset and gadgets with them. They're the ultimate challenge in the game, even more dangerous than the Apex.
These are just six of the revealed Archæan enemy types. We'll learn more about the others in the coming months.
All of the 18 revealed operators for R6 Extraction
Eighteen of the returning cast have already been revealed, with six more coming out at a later date. These eighteen are Jager, Capitao, IQ, Tachanka, Rook, Fuze, Gridlock, Nomad, Smoke, Ela, Sledge, Alibi, Lion, Vigil, Hibana. Doc, Finka, and Pulse. While all of them are the same characters we know and love from R6 Siege, they come in R6 Extraction with new weapons, gadgets, and abilities that suit their roles in REACT. Refamiliarize yourself with each one and master their abilities so you can play your strengths with your team.
Players who play both Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Extraction will instantly unlock access to all eighteen operators in Siege and will receive the United Front cosmetic bundles in both games. Pre-ordering will give you the Orbital Decay bundle with exclusive Epic items, including the Orion uniform and headgear for Finka and Lion, the universal Vaporized weapon skin, and the Crashlander charm.
Game Modes: Single-player Mode, 3 Player-Coop, Deep Progression System
Rainbow Six Extraction will have both co-op multiplayer and single-player mode. The three-player co-op will be fully cross-play enabled, allowing all players from all platforms to play together. Each mission will consist of three maps. At the end of each mission, players have the choice to continue or to request for EVAC. Continuing will lead to more difficult encounters, but also more rewards. However, you can easily lose your progress if you die later on, so be prudent in making your decisions. You might end up in the Singularity – and from there all hell breaks loose.
Sadly, while the game offers a deep progression system to earn more cosmetics, lore, and gadgets, there doesn't seem to be a single-player campaign mode. You can go at it alone, but we're not sure if doing so will scale the difficulty or offer higher rewards.
Apart from these, R6 Extraction will also feature live content updates, seasonal events, and ranked leaderboards.
R6 Extraction Release Date: January 2022
R6 Extraction is due to be released on January 22 on PC, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.