Rainbow 6 Tactics: The Siege Meets XCOM Crossover You Didn't Know You Needed

Ever wished you could enjoy Rainbow Six Siege without the sweaty multiplayer and the ever-growing roster of operators? Well, Ubisoft might have just answered your prayers. During Gamescom Opening Night Live, they dropped the bombshell: Rainbow 6 Tactics, a turn-based tactics game that looks like Siege and XCOM: Chimera Squad had a baby. And here's the kicker—it's entirely single-player.

Now, don't get me wrong—I love Siege. But after years away, jumping back in feels like trying to learn a new language. With over 50 operators and a skill ceiling that's through the roof, it's daunting. That's why Rainbow 6 Tactics is so appealing. It's a way to get that Siege fix without the stress of online play. Plus, it's being helmed by Ubisoft Paris, the studio behind the excellent Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. If anyone can evolve the tactics genre, it's them.

So, how does it play? Like Siege, missions are split into phases. First, you use drones to scout out enemy positions, locate hostages, and identify defensive setups. Then comes the breach planning phase, where you position your operators at entry points and decide how they'll enter—through a window, by blowing up a wall, or taking a shot from afar. When you hit execute, all your operators move simultaneously in a coordinated assault. After that, it's classic turn-based combat, with percentage-based hit chances, cover, and special abilities.

The standout twist? Destructible environments, straight from Siege. But the real innovation is the planning phase itself. Most tactics games throw you into combat with enemies already aware of you. Here, you get a pre-mission turn to set up the perfect ambush. It's a fresh take that could change how we approach the genre.

You'll play as Paul Bishop, aka Six, a familiar face from Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. You've got 15 of Siege's operators under your command, including fan favorites like Ash, Zofia, and Doc, as you rebuild Team Rainbow. The story spans dozens of handcrafted maps, set between Siege's Year 10 and Year 11. And get this—there's no in-game store, no microtransactions, and it's not a live-service title. For a new Ubisoft game, that's almost unheard of.

Rainbow 6 Tactics drops in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It's a bold move, and honestly, it's got me hyped. Will you be picking this up when it launches? Let me know in the comments!