Rainbow Six Siege’s New Update Shakes Up the Meta: Sledge Buffs, Kapkan Controversy, and More

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Summary

  • Y9S4.2 update for Rainbow Six Siege includes long-awaited buffs to Sledge’s speed, making him more viable.
  • Controversial changes to Kapkan, like losing Nitro Cell, have left fans divided on how it impacts his utility.
  • Various operator and weapon tweaks in the update may significantly alter the game’s meta and strategies.

In this revised version, I’ve aimed to make the text more accessible and engaging:

The tactical shooter game, Rainbow Six Siege, has been updated with Y9S4.2, introducing a variety of changes to the gameplay dynamics, including long-awaited enhancements for the character Sledge, and a contentious adjustment to Kapkan. Fans of Rainbow Six Siege have eagerly anticipated improvements for Sledge for quite some time, so they’ll surely be thrilled to see Ubisoft finally making these changes.

The operation Collision Point for Rainbow Six Siege was launched in December, introducing cross-platform play and a revamped Blackbeard character, among other features. Recently, the developers have rolled out another update that could significantly alter the game’s strategic landscape, or its meta.

Ubisoft has unveiled all details about the Y9S4.2 update for Rainbow Six Siege, and the major alteration is an enhancement to the character Sledge. To achieve this boost, Sledge’s speed has been enhanced at the expense of his health, a feature that players have long requested. Sledge is a useful tool for breaching barriers but needs to be very close to it to break it, making his slow movement speed a significant challenge. This adjustment should make Sledge less vulnerable to enemy targeting, potentially making him one of the most favored attackers in Rainbow Six Siege.

Personally, I’m thrilled about the Sledge buff, but the modification on Kapkan has left me scratching my head a bit. They’ve taken away the C4, or Nitro Cell, which many of us thought was an essential tool for playing as Kapkan. It was handy for clearing out enemies who survived his EDDs. However, the replacement, Barbed Wires, seems to have caused quite a stir, with some players feeling it offers minimal benefits to Kapkan’s current arsenal. In fact, some argue that deploying Barbed Wires could inadvertently expose his EDDs more than before. Kapkan has always been one of the top trap operators in Rainbow Six Siege, so I’m eager to see how this change impacts his popularity.

One topic causing discussion within the community is the decision to take away Ram’s secondary weapon, ITA12S. Some people believe this was justified since it gave her too much power in her loadout, while others argue that it was a valuable tool for breaching hatches. Another change requested by many players has been implemented – the developers have adjusted Vigil’s shotgun damage to match other shotguns in the game. Furthermore, several adjustments were made to various weapons and Operators; time will tell how these modifications impact the Rainbow Six Siege meta.

Rainbow Six Siege Y9S4.2 Update Patch Notes

OPERATOR BALANCING

ORYX

  • Reduced recovery time when dashing to 0.2 seconds (from 0.5).
  • Reduced recovery time when dashing against a wall to 0.3 seconds (from 0.5).
  • Reduced recovery time when dashing against an enemy to 0.1 seconds (from 0.5).

KAPKAN

  • Removed Nitro Cell.
  • Added Barbed Wire.

LESION

  • Mines’ refill time increased to 30 seconds (from 25).
  • Reduced max. mines to 8 (from 9).

BUCK

  • Removed Hard Breach Charge.
  • Added Claymore.

RAM

  • Removed ITA12S.

SLEDGE

  • Reduced Health to 2 (from 3) and increased Speed to 2 (from 1).

WEAPON BALANCING

TCSG12

  • Damage: 75hp (from 63).

G36C

  • Reduced vertical recoil.
  • Reduced lateral recoil.

WEAPON CALIBERS

  • Slug’s destruction reduced.

WEAPON CLASSES

  • Slug Shotguns’ damage drop off start at 15 meters (from 25).
  • Slug Shotguns’ damage drop off end at 25 meters (from 35).
  • Slug Shotguns’ damage drop off minimum to 60% (from 70).

BUG FIXES

GAMEPLAY

FIXED – Match doesn’t end when reaching majority of votes to cancel the round.

When Observation Tools are placed at the edge of a surface while the player is moving laterally, they will not register a signal.

LEVEL DESIGN

During the final moments of the Preparation Phase, it is possible to jump over the red-marked walls that indicate restricted areas for defenders.

In simpler terms, operators can climb onto sheds by using a bench as a step and colliding intentionally with a garden gnome, which is located in the exterior area of an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) on the House map, after initially standing on the ground.

FIXED – Hatch isn’t completely destroyed by explosions in 1F Lounge on the Kanal map.

As an avid gamer, I’ve discovered an exciting trick! In the Border map’s 2F Break room, you can actually climb onto the vending machine with Azami’s Kiba Barrier. It’s a sneaky move that adds a new dimension to gameplay!

OPERATORS

FIXED – Blackbeard’s Breach ability can be used while in guard break in a specific timing.

FIXED – Rappel hook remains in player’s hand after using Ash’s Breaching Round while rappelling.

In a revised context, Blackbeard’s primary weapon statistics will be compared to those of the H.U.L.L. Deployable Shield, rather than comparing the two weapons directly with each other.

FIXED – Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB’s iron sight clips through the player camera while aiming down sight.

In the Blackbeard’s inventory, you’ll notice that “Extra Ammo Magazines” and “Magazine Capacity” are both displayed as “empty” or “zero” in the Loadout menu.

Fix – The bullet impact marks on Blackbeard’s Reinforced Shield vanish when he looks through his sights.

Altered Version: When Blackbeard darts forward and gets struck by a melee attack simultaneously, his deployable shield (H.U.L.L.) detaches from its guard position. (Blackbeard’s H.U.L.L. Deployable Shield detaches from its protective stance when he dashes and is hit with a melee attack at the same time.)

As a gamer, I found an issue with Blackbeard’s H.U.L.L. Deployable Shield and his equipped weapon not being highlighted when he spawns on the map when viewing from caster mode. This means that it can be difficult to identify where exactly Blackbeard is located on the map during gameplay, which could potentially give an advantage to opponents. I suggest that this issue should be fixed so that Blackbeard’s H.U.L.L. Deployable Shield and equipped weapon are properly highlighted when he spawns on the map in caster mode, making it easier for players to locate him and adjust their strategies accordingly.

With the Talon-8 Clear Shield attached, the “Enter” command enables Osa to pass through unscathed barrier openings as she descends using her rappelling gear.

USER EXPERIENCE

Hey there! I noticed something odd about Tachanka’s Elite Slava Korolyu skin for the Bearing 9 Machine Pistol. It seems to be missing from my Weapon Skins menu, and I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Could you take a look at this, maybe there’s been some sort of mix-up? Thanks!

Fixing an issue: The data for Breach Charges hasn’t been revised to match the latest season updates on the Battle Pass interface.

AUDIO

FIXED – Blackbeard’s sprint SFX is out of sync with the animation.

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2025-01-22 06:54