Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six is a legendary franchise that can trace its roots back to the late 1990s. It was first seen in 1998 when author Tom Clancy released a book of the same name that was followed by the first-ever Rainbow Six video game just days later. It proved to be a huge success, spawning multiple follow-up titles that broadened the selection of Rainbow Six games available to consume. Today, that lineage has culminated in Rainbow Six Siege, the most popular game in the series.
It wasn’t the first Tom Clancy-based game to be released, but it was arguably the best when it came to kicking off a franchise. From there, Ubisoft – which picked up the development of the games in 2000 – also created the Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell franchises, which also bore the Tom Clancy name. In this guide, we’re looking closely at the Rainbow Six games, helping you to ultimately decide from a modern angle which Rainbow Six Siege to buy.
The History of Rainbow Six
Rainbow Six is a star-studded, iconic franchise that has spanned several generations of gaming. It has received many awards, and positive press, and it has constantly grown over time. Today, it’s a top-tier esports title and competitive ecosystem, with Rainbow Six Siege topping the charts even eight years after it was released. It’s Ubisoft’s flagship shooter franchise and it is appreciated by millions of gamers the world over.
But what’s the in-depth history of the Rainbow Six games?
Rainbow Six began in 1998, as we’ve highlighted. It was so popular that several expansions were released to bring the game to new heights, as well as a range of new titles that seemed to spawn out of nowhere. With its focus on tactical combat and strategy, Rainbow Six was a world away from the typical run-and-gun shooters of the day. It joined the likes of SOCOM: US Navy Seals in giving players the choice of how they approached their objectives.
By 2003, Rainbow Six 3 had been released across some of the most popular gaming platforms in history, namely the PlayStation 2. For the following generation, which featured the ever-popular Xbox 360 and its competitor, the PlayStation 3, Rainbow Six: Vegas was released. This was a huge success, and the series saw a direct sequel released in 2008 before the franchise ultimately went dark for more than seven years.
In 2015, Rainbow Six Siege was released, and by 2023, it’d be regarded as one of the most popular first-person shooter games of all time.
Read More: Why Is It Called Rainbow Six?
Which Rainbow Six Siege Should You Buy?
Image Credit: Ubisoft
Now that you’re all caught up, you may want to get involved yourself in what the Rainbow Six games have to offer. There’s no doubting the fact that there are many to choose from, it ultimately comes down to Rainbow Six Siege, given that it’s the most up-to-date and popular title in the history of the series. In this section of our guide, we’ll help you understand which Rainbow Six Siege to buy.
At the time of publishing, there are four versions of Rainbow Six Siege to buy, complete with UK pricing that’s accurate at the time of writing*:
Standard Edition (£16.99)
Deluxe Edition (£25.99)
Operator Edition (£58.99)
Ultimate Edition (£74.99)
(*Pricing obtained from Steam, other platforms may have a different price)
Typically, most players will pick up the Standard Edition, which gets them into the game but offers very few frills. From there, the editions become increasingly expensive but they do tend to offer much more in terms of extra content. It can quickly become a pricey venture for some, especially if you’re buying Rainbow Six Siege to simply ‘test it out.’
If you’re coming into Rainbow Six Siege for the first time, we’d recommend sticking with the Standard Edition. It’s the version that’ll get you through the door without any difficulty, and when it goes on sale, it can drop as low as just a few pounds or dollars.
However, if you know that you’re going to play the hell out of Rainbow Six Siege, then you could always fly straight up to the Ultimate Edition. In this best-in-class version, players will pick up the base game, thirty-six Operators will be instantly unlocked, and they’ll secure the exclusive ‘Disruptor Pack’ that introduces four new Operator sets to the game. For a good spread of operators at a lower cost, you could consider the Deluxe Edition, which grants you sixteen early game Operators upon purchase.
Read More: What Is Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan?
Why Are There So Many Operators?
Operators are the bread and butter of Rainbow Six games. They’re the characters that you control and the vessels through which you wreak untold havoc on malicious wrongdoers all around the world. In Rainbow Six Siege, the Operators are everything about the game – they’re how you approach objectives, how you get through obstacles, and how you behave on the field. There are many combinations made up through the sixty-eight Operators available to unlock, and for some, it’s a collecting game.
From nimble and agile Operators that wield small-form weapons to the heavy hitters with larger firearms and massive breaching tools, there’s a diverse array of Operators to unlock in Rainbow Six Siege. Out of all the Rainbow Six games, Siege offers the widest range of approaches, and depending on the player’s preferred style, there will always be an Operator – or maybe two or three – to suit them.
It also keeps the Rainbow Six esports scene fresh, as the meta can change at any point, meaning we’ll see new Operators used in the competitive field by some of the best Rainbow Six players in the world.
Who knows – depending on what Rainbow Six Siege you buy, you may end up finding that one Operator that you gel with, and before you know it, you too are a professional player!=
About Post Author
