Rainbow Six Siege Dev: GTA 6 Will Hurt Player Numbers

Ever wonder how your favorite online shooter survives when a gaming giant like GTA 6 drops? You're not alone. Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege creative director, Joshua Mills, recently opened up about that exact challenge in an interview with The Game Business.

Mills didn't sugarcoat it: when GTA 6 launches this November, "you're going to take a hit when that drops." And why wouldn't it? "All of us are going to play it," he admitted. That's just reality when Rockstar drops a new Grand Theft Auto.

But here's the thing—Mills isn't panicking. He explained that the key is "being smart and with your expectations so you can keep the team and HQ aligned." He also pointed out that when developers see player numbers dip, "they can get anxious." However, he's observed that the effect from a big competitor release is "generally temporary." So, breathe easy, Siege fans.

So what's Ubisoft's strategy? Mills shared their "golden rule": serving "the players who stay like kings and queens." He elaborated, "We don't go on vacation just because a competitor is swelling the market. We double down and reward those spending their valuable time with us." That means more love for the loyal community, not less.

Speaking of rewards, Siege's fourth season of year 11 is set to launch around the same time GTA 6 arrives in November 2026. Mills teased "some unannounced surprises" that he promises will "make a splash." Sounds like Ubisoft is planning to keep things exciting for those who stick around.

Now, about that long-rumored Siege 2—don't hold your breath. Mills explained why Ubisoft went with Siege X instead of a full sequel. "Fundamentally rebuilding our entire system is a mountain of work," he said. According to him, Siege X is nowhere near the scale a true sequel would require, which would mean rebuilding the entire game. "The need for doing it is not necessarily there with the cost of shutting the lights off. Because you can't possibly run both at the same time," Mills said. Plus, you'd need the expertise of the current team to rebuild it, which would be "really difficult."

Looking ahead, the Siege franchise is expanding in 2027 with Rainbow Six Siege Tactics, a turn-based tactical game set in the Rainbow Six universe. So while a direct sequel isn't happening, the universe is growing in new directions.

What do you think about Ubisoft's approach to GTA 6 and the future of Siege? Will you be sticking with Siege when GTA 6 drops? Let us know in the comments!