Rainbow Six Siege X’s new Dual Front mode has operators fighting for territory control

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2021 marks a significant anniversary for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. It seems just yesterday when Ubisoft Montreal launched the latest installment in the Rainbow Six series, offering an unprecedented tactical team-shooting experience with exceptional physics. Ten years on, this game has exceeded all expectations, maintaining its popularity. Now, it’s time for Siege to advance, but don’t worry, its fundamental aspects will be refined, and the upcoming Rainbow Six Siege X update will introduce a fresh approach to playing the game. Recently, Shacknews had an opportunity to team up with other media professionals to test-drive a new 6v6 mode titled Dual Front.

In Dual Front, two teams of six players will engage in a battle on Siege’s biggest map yet, featuring numerous buildings. Each team’s territory is divided into two sectors and a headquarters, with the goal being to seize complete control over the enemy base. This requires both infiltration and defense, but traditional Siege rules will be more relaxed. Attackers and Defenders can be grouped together on the same squad, and players are free to switch characters during their lives. You might wonder about “lives”, yes, that’s correct! Dual Front includes respawns. Occasionally, a tactical decision may require a different operator, so you’ll need to review both Attackers and Defenders. However, not every character is part of Dual Front, as the available operators will change each month.

Capturing enemy areas involves placing an explosive device (sabotage kit) at a specific location within the opposing team’s territory. Once placed and safeguarded until it becomes active, the attacking side secures that region. The moment a sabotage kit is deployed, the defending team has limited time to disarm it. Unlike regular Siege, there’s no preparation phase, but establishing defenses can be crucial. This includes fortifying the base and laying traps, as well as utilizing certain Defender tools. Additionally, there exists a neutral zone in the map center with shifting objectives for both teams. Successfully completing these objectives awards certain benefits to the team that does so.

After being so familiar with standard Siege for many years, adjusting to the continuous action in Dual Front can take some time. Without a preparation phase and allowing character respawns, this new mode does seem less distinct from other popular shooter games available today. Veteran Siege players might find that their teammates’ behaviors resemble those found in Call of Duty or Battlefield, which isn’t unique to Dual Front.

Despite my limited time with Dual Front, it holds promise and offers an intriguing meta-game where swapping Operators based on different scenarios and enemy formations can be engaging. In my playthrough, I rarely needed to switch due to the importance of support characters like Doc, who are indispensable. Trap characters, such as Maestro with his Evil Eye turret, also prove vital in securing key areas. The gameplay becomes more recognizable once you use the sabotage kit, even when it leads to bittersweet moments – planting successfully, dying, and then witnessing the opposing team disarm your hard-earned progress.

It’s intriguing to find out if the Dual Front mode gains popularity among Rainbow Six Siege enthusiasts, as Ubisoft Montreal is eager to introduce this novel gameplay style to players. The closed beta for this new mode, which was announced during Thursday’s Siege X Showcase, begins today and will continue until March 19, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time/3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

This preview is based on a remote session through a private beta branch provided by the publisher.

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2025-03-13 20:27