Ubisoft's rather modest FPS continues to prove that it's not going anywhere. Thanks to a week of free access and a frankly ridiculous $4 discount, Rainbow Six Siege surpassed its all-time Steam concurrent games record this weekend with a new high of 201,933.
Not bad for a live-service shooter entering its ninth year, but particularly surprising considering it's far from the first time Siege has gone cheap and temporarily free. Ubisoft has hosted over a dozen free weekends (and a few full weeks) on Steam over the years, typically around the release of a new season. This time is no different – Season 1 of Grade 9 began earlier this month with a new operator and balancing optimizations.
So why are more people trying Siege in 2024 than during a similar free week in 2022? The dynamics of Twitch could explain it: The currently largest streamer on Twitch, Jynxzi, plays almost exclusively Siege. His guest appearance at the Rainbow Six Invitational 2024 helped make it the most-watched event in the game's history. He's one of the main reasons why Siege is currently the #11 game on Twitch (according to Twitch tracker).
I also suspect that former players will be coming back in droves to check out the 9th grade changes, as I'm one of those players. I've barely touched the game in the last five months, but I logged in on day one to check out the shield reworks, ADS slowdowns, and scope changes that have finally put an end to the reign of the 1.5x sight . Then there's Deimos himself, who seems to be a pretty fun attacker.
I also think there's something to be said about Siege's reputation as a factor. In its early years, Siege was known as a buggy mess that recovered from a disastrous start thanks to its unique shooting and destruction. In 2024, it's still buggy, but it's also made a new name for itself as a shooter that's not afraid to move with the times, upend entire systems that no longer make sense, and its rules to rethink to make the game fairer and more fun. Ubisoft has really put a lot of work into making Siege consistent and balanced over the last few years, and has gradually added quality of life features that rival its much larger competitors.
For all of these reasons, it doesn't surprise me that Ubisoft has no plans for Siege 2. Dated graphics and an aging engine be damned, Siege is one of the best first-person shooters out there, and it just keeps getting better. And through March 21st, you can pick it up for less than a large coffee.
