Rainbow Six Siege nerfs Steel Wave Operators in first Y5S2.1 patch notes

While Operation Steel Wave soon hits live servers, Ubisoft has already outlined planned nerfs for Ace and Melusi.

What you need to know

• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is soon scheduled to receive its next seasonal update, Operation Steel Wave.
• Ubisoft has provided an early glimpse at its follow-up Y5S2.1 patch, including nerfs to new Operators Ace and Melusi.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege soon locks down Operation Steel Wave, its latest seasonal update headed to the hit multiplayer shooter. The newly-unveiled release date pins availability for June 16, with a staged, per-platform rollout across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Its arrival means two new Operators, Ace and Melusi, coupled with a fresh facelift under the House map rework. And with Steel Wave hours away from public availability, Ubisoft has dropped a tease for its next mid-season shakeup, the Y5S2.1 update.

Ubisoft has outlined three significant changes planned for Y5S2.1 — slated to disrupt new Operators Ace and Melusi just weeks after their arrival. The balancing adjustments follow four weeks of public Test Server (TS) feedback on PC, indicative of planned changes that didn't make it to launch. While Ubisoft hasn't provided the full mid-season patch notes, the amendments address feedback somewhat mirroring our early hands-on impressions with the new Operators.

"During the Steel Wave test server period we received a number of feedback requests for balancing tweaks to the new Operators," Ubisoft stated. "After evaluating feedback from players, and data from the TS, we plan to make a few balancing changes to the new operators with the 2.1 patch. The changes will not go into effect until the Y5S2.1 update."

Steel Wave defender Melusi ships with three Banshee Sonic Defense devices, capable of slowing nearby attackers mid-step, and emitting disorienting droning sound. Her loadout couples traps and intelligence, potentially among Ubisoft's most influential Operators to date. But Y5S2.1 will introduce two notable changes, reducing her gadget's area of effect, and lowering its volume from the affected player's point of view.

Ubisoft is also making a minor adjustment to Steel Wave's new hard breacher, Ace — even extending to existing ally Hibana. His hydraulic S.E.L.M.A. breach charge has the potential to destroy Bandit batteries through reinforced walls (Rainbow Six Siege YouTuber Prodigio Pete has an excellent showcase), but will be removed with the arrival of Y5S2.1.

Rainbow Six Siege Y5S2.1 Patch Notes

While only a glimpse at some of the expected changes with Steel Wave's first mid-season update, the full patch notes (so far) follow.

Melusi - Coming in Y5S2.1

• Lowering the penalty zone by approximately 33%.
• Lowering the sound of Banshee effect in first person POV.

Ace & Hibana - Coming in Y5S2.1

• Remove the possibility of destroying Bandit's Batteries through reinforcements, by placing the charges on the floor.

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