Rainbow Six Quarantine: Everything we know ~ System Admin Stuff

Following the success of Rainbow Six Siege, Quarantine brings a cooperative spin marrying deep strategy with the first-person shooter.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege sits among top-earners for Ubisoft in 2020, with an upcoming spin-off set to capitalize on the series newfound multi-million player base. Rainbow Six Quarantine translates that identity into a new cooperative setup, tasking three players to aid the containment of an alien parasite sweeping the nation. Expanding upon the foundations established with Outbreak, the hit limited-time mode under Operation Chimera, the game is shaping up to be a deep, tactical experience for fans, new and old.

Fight The Outbreak

Rainbow Six Quarantine

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Co-op, replayability, and tension.

Embracing the signatures of Rainbow Six Siege through a cooperative lens, Rainbow Six Quarantine sees Operators deployed to tackle a global biohazard threat. Ubisoft's upcoming shooter offers a new form of tactical experience for long-time fans and newcomers, expected to release in late 2020.

Rainbow Six Quarantine release date

Rainbow Six Quarantine doesn't have a firm release date, but Ubisoft currently has the title on track for sometime between April 2021 and March 2022. While Ubisoft first unveiled Rainbow Six Quarantine with availability scheduled for 2020, the title was later among three projects delayed one year to ensure additional development time. Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, has since told investors the game has suffered yet another delay into the 2021/22 fiscal year, as announced during its Q2 2021 earnings report.

While first announced for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, its release window also indicates availability on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Multiple delays could also see this become a next-generation-only experience, although formal launch platforms remain unclear, right now.

Ubisoft is yet to discuss whether Quarantine looks to hit that target, especially given the ongoing struggles of the global pandemic. The title was also absent from the digital "Ubisoft Forward" showcase in July and September despite appearances from other upcoming projects.

Has Rainbow Six Quarantine been canceled?

It's been over one year since Ubisoft unveiled Rainbow Six Quarantine, with little new information on the title, despite being initially slated for early 2020. The silence has left the future uncertain, especially with current world events making a pandemic an unfortunate backdrop for a game. But we know the title remains in development, with multiple delays pushing the experience into 2021 or beyond. And while the little we know comes from leaks, it appears the scope of this cooperative shooter has scaled throughout its extra time in the oven. Quarantine is still coming — we're just not quite sure when.

What is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine?

Rainbow Six Quarantine features familiar faces, next deployed on a mission across the U.S.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege exhibits continued success for Ubisoft, with its tactical multiplayer supported by a competition-primed sandbox, and regular free updates for almost half a decade. That's established a near 60 million-strong following across console and PC, demonstrating an identity through personified Operators and deep-rooted gameplay synergies.

Ubisoft capitalizes on the same philosophies in Rainbow Six Quarantine, a new spin-off focused on cooperative, squad-based first-person shooter action. It takes influence from Outbreak, one of the most popular limited-time Rainbow Six Siege events, pitting its cast against a mysterious biohazard pandemic threatening humankind.

Rainbow Six Quarantine shares its tactical fundamentals with Rainbow Six Siege, developed by a new team under the same Montreal office. That includes shared defining signatures, including gadgets, gunplay, and destruction, but translated into a three-player cooperative setting with AI enemies.

The first talk of the project surfaced at E3 2019, with Ubisoft debuting a one-minute cinematic teaser trailer, providing the first sample of the shift in tone. With a dazed survivor fending off the infected, it presents a chaotic backdrop akin to the 2018 Siege event. It wraps with the appearance of Ela and Vigil, two familiar faces from the existing Rainbow Six Siege cast, expected to make a return in 2020.

Quarantine seemingly centers around the same alien parasite featured in Outbreak, where a USSR space capsule crash lands in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and a quarantine is established to contain the epidemic. The virus triggers a variety of infected forms, defined by crystalline structures protruding from the body, and each corresponding to enemy classes in gameplay.

The fundamental mission structure of Outbreak also may return, adopting a Left 4 Dead-style setup, with self-contained levels cycling between various objectives. In the original limited-time mode, that included defending sites, protecting civilians, and progressing through hordes, while accounting for distinctive elements of Rainbow Six gameplay.

Rainbow Six Quarantine gameplay leaks

Rainbow Six Siege's limited-time Outbreak mode under Operation Chimera served as early inspiration for the title.

Ubisoft hasn't provided any Rainbow Six Siege Quarantine footage beyond its initial teaser, including any form of gameplay, or the changes to expect over Rainbow Six Siege. While familiar to veterans, Ubisoft also positions the game as an ideal entry point for series newcomers.

What to expect from moment-to-moment gameplay remains unclear as a result, but alleged leaked documentation from early 2020 provides our first potential glimpse at internal plans. Photographs of a supposed internal pamphlet surfaced, an unusual form factor for leaks, outlining core philosophies headed into the Quarantine project. And while worth taking lightly due to its unconfirmed nature, the high volume of details aligns with other reputable reports.

The document discusses the primary qualities of Rainbow Six Quarantine, suggesting a title further exploring its tactical heritage and presented through "co-op, replayability, and tension." It implies a premise not too dissimilar from past Rainbow Six titles, this time focusing on an atmospheric player-versus environment (PvE) setting. That further divides into three further phases on a per-mission basis – observe, plan, and action – encouraging intelligence, gadgetry, and combat, all synonymous with Rainbow Six Siege.

We also understand Ubisoft is exploring a "PVE Ranked" experience for Rainbow Six Quarantine, melding its player-versus-AI combat with the competitive foundations at the heart of Rainbow Six Siege. The grind from Bronze to Diamond has proven increasingly lucrative amid the series' recent success, with similar skill-based challenges likely awaiting for this title.

Various leaks also provide a potential overview of planned game content, including returning Operators, enemies, mission locations, and overall game structure.

It discusses missions spanning U.S. cities, opening in New York City, followed by San Francisco, and wrapped with "TRC," likely referencing Truth or Consequences, the setting of the original Outbreak event. Now-deleted images from 3D artist Eric Clark on ArtStation further back this speculation, a contributor on Rainbow Six Quarantine assets used alongside the reveal. While providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of renders, the featured glowsticks also reference coordinates for New York City and San Francisco government buildings, providing solid backing for the pamphlet leak.

We've also received what could be our first look at Quarantine's mission list, with a dump of supposed pre-release game strings from reputable Rainbow Six leakster, /u/Zer0Bytes_ on Reddit. The alleged files detail the same three-part structure but split across six chapters each.

Game types could include Sabotage, Escort, Disruption, and Hunt, each suggesting various objectives for players to pursue. These appear to explore familiar gameplay tropes, including protecting VIPs, hunting targets, or planning assaults on objectives.

We also see the arrival of new infected, alongside the return of favorites from Outbreak, divided into four tiers. The Grunt, Breacher, Rooter, Smasher, and Apex return, with the debut of the Bloater, Spiker, and Harasser, each with different contributions to combat.

Rainbow Six Quarantine Operators

Rainbow Six Quarantine brings forward existing Operators from Rainbow Six Siege, its playable hero-style counterterrorism specialists, now intrinsic to the brand identity. The growing roster of more than 50 personas has emerged one of the game's vital points for success, from their gameplay contributions to the personalities they inject. As seen with the limited-time Outbreak mode, Ubisoft brings forward a selection of Operators to contain the virus.

We already know of three Operators confirmed following the reveal, with Ela and Vigil stars of its trailer, and Lion appearing in promotional assets. The documentation mentioned above suggests those Operators are just a fraction of the planned roster, with 21 existing Operators reportedly on track for launch. It indicates each falls into categories for "Assault," "Recon," and "Support," supporting the fundamental pillars of the gameplay loop. Datamined information as of June 2020 aligns almost identically, only swapping out Smoke and Nomad for Maestro. Here's the list of Rainbow Six Quarantine expected, as per the pamphlet.

ASSAULT

Sledge
Tachanka
Smoke
Nomad
Zofia
Ying
Hibana

RECON

Lion
Vigil
Alibi
Pulse
Jackal
IQ
Echo

SUPPORT

Ela
Finka
Doc
Gridlock
Rook
Jager
Fuze

Those Operators may debut with familiar weapons from Rainbow Six Siege, which like their gadgets, come tightly bound to their identities. But it's unclear whether some Operators will undergo revisions, best demonstrated by Vigil and his counter-intelligence tools to hide from camera feeds. Unless we have CCTV-wielding zombies, some may receive adjustments to fit the cooperative play.

Ubisoft also appears poised to experiment with Operator leveling, deferring from the horizontal progression in Rainbow Six Siege, focused on improving individual skills and strategies. Rainbow Six Quarantine will reportedly experiment with a deep system on a per-Operator basis, using a one-to-ten leveling system, given a reduced need to maintain balance across players.

Is a Quarantine event coming to Rainbow Six Siege?

Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Quarantine remain entirely separate games, separated in themes, and between their cooperative PvE and competitive PvP fundamentals. We expect the two titles to co-exist over the years ahead, with continued seasonal updates over multiple years.

However, Rainbow Six Quarantine is expected to cross into Rainbow Six Siege in some way, especially given recent content surfacing with the Operation Shadow Legacy test server. Game files included various unreleased cosmetics tied into the Quarantine theme, designed for Pulse and Nomad. The two skins include the game's insignia, respirators, and camouflage, all aligning with past promotional content.

While it's far from confirmed that Quarantine will tie into a full new season, these seasonal skins suggest a new cross-title collaboration is brewing.

Rainbow Six Quarantine beta

Rainbow Six Quarantine hasn't received a confirmed beta, although like many triple-A titles hitting the market, it appears set for later in 2020. The official game site currently grants players an opportunity for a "chance to play early," by selecting between Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, and signing up for the newsletter. You can sign up today via the Rainbow Six Quarantine beta portal.

Like Rainbow Six Siege, a beta test will likely come in the months leading up to launch, with more details potentially set for mid-2020.

Rainbow Six Quarantine is expected to release for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC sometime in 2020, with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 likely to follow. While currently unavailable for preorder in the US, preorders are now live at Amazon UK.

Fight The Outbreak

Rainbow Six Quarantine

See at Amazon

Co-op, replayability, and tension.

System Admin Stuff

Monday, 21 December 2020