Rainbow Six Siege Y8S1 Commanding Force Patch Notes: Brava Attacker, Reload Rework, and Map Changes

Rainbow Six Siege players will be gearing up for deploying into the latest season of the game. With Rainbow Six Mobile on the way — it is no surprise that more players may be starting to play through more new seasons to get back to grips with Rainbow Six. This article will take you through all of the Rainbow Six Siege Y8S1 official patch notes so you can stay ahead of the curve.

Key Additions and Changes in the Rainbow Six Siege Y8S1 Update

One of the main additions to the game is of course the inclusion of the new attacker: Brava. She will no doubt become a valuable asset to any well-developed team. Brava’s ability named the “Kludge Drone” can even take over existing enemy equipment. This is going to be extremely useful in many situations— especially when you are needing extra intel on the opponent’s area.

Related: How to Get Nier 2B and Replicant Skins in Rainbow Six Siege

Another key change is a reload rework that is now part of the new update. You will not be able to magazine switch between weapons effectively anymore. This is because if you interrupt any reload animation you will not have a new clip added. However, any “closed bolt” weapons will instead have one bullet for you to fire if you interrupt it.

Full Rainbow Six Siege Y8S1 Update Patch Notes

Ubisoft have released details of the entire patch notes that are related to the Commanding Force season. These have been listed below for you to read through at your own pace. From Operator balance to extra player protection, there is something for everyone in this new season’s update.

MOUSETRAP (MOUSE & KEYBOARD PENALTY ON CONSOLE)

• Coming in the middle of Operation Commanding Force, players who use mouse and keyboard on consoles will activate a penalty that adds lag to their inputs. The goal of this penalty is to encourage fair gameplay by removing the unfair advantage that mouse and keyboard players have on consoles.

• While active, continued use of mouse and keyboard gradually increases the lag over several matches, making it harder to aim and shoot. Completing matches with a controller will gradually reduce the lag back to normal.

PLAYER PROTECTION

• ABUSIVE VOICE CHAT REPUTATION PENALTY: This season introduces a new Reputation Penalty for abusive voice chat. While active, this penalty mutes repeat offenders by default to prevent hateful and disruptive content in voice chat. Muted players can still use voice chat but will only be heard by players who unmute them.

• At launch: All players will have a grace period to adapt to the new system. After the grace period is over, players who’ve frequently abused voice chat will get an active penalty for 30 matches.

OPERATOR SPECIALTIES & CHALLENGES (ONBOARDING)

• OPERATOR SPECIALTIES: Operator Specialties identify an Operator’s playstyle in-game. All Operators have one to two specialties which can be checked during the Planning Phase, in the Operators section, and in Operator Guides.

• SPECIALTY CHALLENGES: Specialty Challenges aim to help beginner players learn the various Operator specialties and what they contribute to a match.

• By completing challenges, players can earn a variety of rewards, including an Operator after finishing all challenges for a single specialty. If the Operator is already owned, players will earn their value in renown instead. All players can complete the challenges and earn all rewards, not just beginners.

BALANCING

• RELOAD REWORK: Reloading has been reworked so that interrupting the animation will leave the player without a magazine, but closed bolt weapons will have a single round for the player to use at any point during the reload.

• ZERO UPDATE: Zero’s Argus camera has some new behaviors. Zero can command his cameras to pierce through surfaces while controlling the Observation Tool. Once the camera has pierced a surface, teammates and Zero can swap to surveil either side at will unless they’re eliminated.

PLAYER COMFORT

• PLAY SECTION UI CHANGES: Playlists are now divided into 3 separate categories: Competitive, Quick Play, and Training, alongside the already-existing Custom Game section.

• Each category has a quick select button to launch the last played playlist.

• Quick Match now has a shortcut to change the matchmaking game mode without going into the Options menu.

• BOOT THE TEST SERVER FROM LIVE GAME: For convenience, the live game now notifies players when the Test Server is live and has a shortcut that lets players quickly boot it.

OPERATOR PRICE DECREASE

• It’s a new Year and as per usual Operation Commanding Force brings its own batch of Operator price decrease. Dropping to 10,000 Renown or 240 R6 Credits are Operators Oryx and Iana. Flores’ price is decreasing to 15,000 Renown or 360 R6 Credits, and finally, Azami is now priced at 20,000 Renown or 480 R6 Credits.

BATTLE PASS UPDATE

• BRAVO PACK TICKET: This season introduces the Bravo Pack Ticket, a rare item that lets you pick an exclusive reward from the latest Bravo Collection. This ticket will be awarded to Premium players who reach level 100 in this season’s Battle Pass as a reward for their dedication.

SEASONAL WEAPON SKIN

• Travel to the luscious and vibrant landscapes of Brazil with the seasonal skin collection included in the Lush Foliage Bundle. It comes with the Tropical Underbush weapon and attachment skins, the Flowery Relaxation charm, as well as the Thunderous Nature operator card background!
• The seasonal weapon skin will be released at the season launch and available for purchase throughout the season. Once unlocked, it remains in your inventory indefinitely and can be applied to all available weapons.

OPERATOR BALANCING

• BRAVA: At season launch, Brava’s Kludge Drone will overload Aruni’s Surya Gate rather than convert it, meaning that it will deactivate but remain a Defender device. This is a temporary fix until an issue with conversion between these two devices is resolved in a later update.
• TWITCH: Twitch’s Shock Drone deceleration power is increased, making it stop sooner after releasing the inputs.

TWEAKS AND IMPROVEMENTS

GAME BALANCING

• When you remove a magazine from a weapon, you will not be able to shoot. If it is a closed bolt weapon, you have one round that you can fire at any point during the reload animation.
• Muzzle Brake First bullet kick reduction increased to 50% (from 45)
• Compensator Horizontal recoil reduction increased to 35% (from 15)

PLAYER COMFORT

• Ranked Match Cancellation: If a vote occurs at the end of a round, votes are tabulated during the end of round replay. If the vote is in favor of cancellation, the match will be cancelled before entering round 2.
• Hud Updates:

• UI design for Caster/Spectator Mode has been updated.
• Gadget status is now represented by three types of icons for each charge.
  • Empty circle means gadget is available.
  • White circle means gadget is deployed.
  • X means that the gadget charge is used.

• Shooting Range Updates:

• Navigation tab is added in Shooting Record to notify the player which lane the current menu is displaying.
• For keyboard players, HUD Callout interaction changes from press-hold to press-down, keeping the same as controllers.
• Small size attachments icons replace the original one in Shooting Record.

• Gadgets VFX:

• Added lights on electronic gadgets that previously did not have any.
• Position of VFX for gadgets more centralized.
• Changed VFX affecting gadgets to look less like electricity.
• Operator Guide Improvements
• Operator Guide are implemented into Match Replay mode and Operator Specialties can be found on the Operator Guide page.

GAME HEALTH

• Playlist Update:

• The Newcomer playlist is being removed this season while the team focuses on developing a new onboarding experience for new players for a future season. In the mean time, new players can learn the basics of Siege with the existing tools available to them.
• A time-limited Discovery playlist will be available at the beginning of the season — play bomb on Emerald Plains and earn 2x the Battle Points for the match.

• Respawn Based Game Modes:

• Changed the respawn mechanic so that players should now spawn in safer places more reliably.

• Unbannable Y8S1 Operator:

• Brava will be unbannable in regular matchmaking (ranked/unranked) for the first two weeks after the release.

Rainbow Six Siege Y8S1 Test Server Changes

Listed below are all of the official changes from Ubisoft that have been implemented into the game after the test server for Commanding Force. The Test Server is where players can try out all of the new additions to the game before anything officially goes live on the main servers.

PLAYER COMFORT

BRAVA

At season launch, Brava’s Kludge Drone will overload Aruni’s Surya Gate rather than convert it, meaning that it will deactivate but remain a Defender device. This is a temporary fix until an issue with conversion between these two devices is resolved in a later update.

BUG FIXES

GAMEPLAY

• FIXED – Defuser can’t be picked up while sprinting.
• FIXED – Operator Card health bar extends beyond the frame during the end of round replay.
• FIXED – Operators can melee through Shields.
• FIXED – Misleading controller layout for Spectator.
• FIXED – Ammo desync between players shooting after the reload is finished.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Camera floats in the air if it was deployed on Castle’s Armor Panel and Defenders remove it from the other side.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Camera can’t pierce the surface if there was a device on the other side while the camera deployed.
• FIXED – Clipping occurs when deploying a device onto an elevated surface.
• FIXED – Dokkaebi can hack an additional phone if two more Defenders are eliminated.
• FIXED – Low performance while rewinding or fast-forwarding in Match Replay.
• FIXED – Match Replay UI widgets have arrows displayed incorrectly.
• FIXED – Incorrect behavior after pressing ESC key when affected by Dokkaebi’s Logic Bomb as an eliminated Defender.
• FIXED – Incorrect animation while counter-defusing.
• FIXED – Play Again button in the Home section doesn’t display the last-played playlist.
• FIXED – VFX and SFX for out of bounds occur briefly while respawning.

LEVEL DESIGN

• FIXED – Azami’s Kiba Barrier at certain angles allows players to vault vegetation near the stairs at 2F CC Stairs on Nighthaven Map.

OPERATORS

• FIXED – Clipping present during deploy and pickup animations while rappelling as Osa.
• FIXED – Missing VFX and SFX on Flores’s RCE-Ratero Charge.
• FIXED – Mute must fully finish equipping the Signal Disruptor before he can deploy it.
• FIXED – Solis’ SPEC-IO Electro-Sensor HUD remains displayed on her kill cam after being eliminated.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Launcher crosshair incorrectly displays that it can pierce metal floor beams.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Camera uses incorrect SFX when piercing a reinforced wall.
• FIXED – Mute’s Signal Disruptor unequip animation is played too fast.
• FIXED – Lion’s EE-One-D is reflecting onto the ground indoors and outdoors.
• FIXED – Sledge cannot equip the Breaching Hammer while in ADS.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Launcher screen isn’t displaying anything.
• FIXED – Brava’s left arm clips into her weapon in the Home section animation.
• FIXED – Operators lose functionality after attempting to pick up a throwable device while Brava’s Kludge Drone is converting it.
• FIXED – Devices aren’t deactivated after being converted by Brava’s Kludge Drone if they’re deployed near Mute’s Signal Disruptor.
• FIXED – Nøkk’s HEL Presence Reduction isn’t detected by Solis’ SPEC-IO Electro Sensor.
• FIXED – No scoring points are awarded for converting opponent devices with Brava’s Kludge Drone.
• FIXED – Misplaced LED on Brava’s Kludge Drone.
• FIXED – Wave VFX displays for enemy devices converted by Brava’s Kludge Drone on IQ’s Electronic Detector.
• FIXED – Brava’s Kludge Drone has White LED lights instead of the selected Team Color while moving.
• FIXED – Nøkk’s D-50 does not use the new reload system when reloading after firing the single round.
• FIXED – Brava’s Kludge Drone LED is visible in first person while using the drone.
• FIXED – Brava’s squad is missing from her bio.

USER EXPERIENCE

• FIXED – Reloading shotgun with one round in the chamber creates invisible shots in walls.
• FIXED – Incorrect render scaling setting while FSR is turned on.
• FIXED – Several navigation issues in the Operator Guide.
• FIXED – Rubber banding occurs occasionally at the beginning of the Action Phase in online multiplayer playlists.
• FIXED – Various information issues in the Spectator HUD.
• FIXED – Custom Game button has no text in Korean, Thai or Arabic.
• FIXED – The dynamic button for Situations will suggest the CQB Basics instead of Article 5.
• FIXED – All voice lines for time remaining play when a Custom Game round begins with Preparation Phase timer set to 0s.
• FIXED – Various reload rework issues.
• FIXED – Can reload faster on some weapons by cancelling the animation.
• FIXED – CAMRS and POF-9 weapons create an extra magazine in the map if the reload is cancelled by shooting a bullet.
• FIXED – Maestro’s Evil Eye can’t fire after Dokkaebi hacks Defender Observation Tools.
• FIXED – The player needs to input left – left -right to regain focus on the Operator Guide when there are no Operator Cards visible on Match Replay.
• FIXED – Mozzie’s Pest Launcher can’t reload if the first Pest is shot again after being picked up.
• FIXED – Incorrect name of Drone Skins category displayed in the Appearance section.
• FIXED – Brava’s Kludge Drone LED color is desaturated and missing the glow VFX.
• FIXED – Zero’s Argus Camera VFX overlay remains on screen for the player spectating whoever used the camera while Brava’s Kludge Drone converted it.
• FIXED – Observation Tool VFX overlay remains on screen for the player spectating whoever used the camera while Brava’s Kludge Drone converted it.
• FIXED – Mozzie’s Pest is not affected by converted Mute’s Signal Disruptor when it’s shot from outside of its area.
• FIXED – Attackers are not kicked out of the Observation Tool after a hack.
• FIXED – Maestro’s Evil Eye VFX remains visible on support mode right after being converted by Brava’s Kludge Drone.
• FIXED – Overlapping UI elements on Brava’s Parade Companion drone skin.
• FIXED – Various Operator icon issues.
• FIXED – Wrong ammo count displayed on the HUD while operating Brava’s Kludge Drone.
• FIXED – Reload prompt is incorrectly displayed when performing a normal reload on weapon while Buck’s Skeleton Key has one bullet left.
• FIXED – Hack VFX of Brava’s Kludge Drone remains visible when spectating a player using the converted Observation Tool.
• FIXED – Brava’s Kludge Drone hack completes before the progress bar is full.
• FIXED – Brava’s Kludge Drone can overheat Defenders’ dropped phones, preventing Dokkaebi from hacking them.
• FIXED – Inconsistent icon sizes when detecting Operator devices with IQ’s Electronics Detector.
• FIXED – Ability Skin thumbnails fail to display when changing their skin to default and back.
• FIXED – The round timer UI element is shorter during the Planning Phase if the previous rounded ended while the defuser was planted.
• FIXED – If Wamai’s Mag-NET was converted by Brava’s Kludge Drone, picking up a Defender throwable midair while the Mag-NET is capturing it will cause a looping SFX.
• FIXED – If a Defender is using an Observation Tool while Brava’s Kludge Drone converts it, the light doesn’t change team colors.
• FIXED – Player in a Custom Game lobby can’t change their ready state while someone is requesting to switch teams.
• FIXED – Various Localization issues.
• FIXED – LOD issues on various maps.
• FIXED – Various Shop and Customization issues.
• FIXED – Aim and shoot inputs are both on the “L2” button for the Lefty controller layout when the Aim option is set to Toggle.
• FIXED – Redirect not working when accessing the View Item button on the side-panel of the News menu.
• FIXED – Cleared tag is missing from cleared Breach Path tile preview of the Battle Pass.
• FIXED – Weapon skin fullscreen view is missing the Operator icons when redirected from the News section.
• FIXED – Missing animated tag for weapon skins.
• FIXED – The transparent background layer in the Reputation section doesn’t cover the entire screen when the Menu Display Area option or certain aspect ratios are used.
• FIXED – The amount of missing currency is incorrect in the “Get Currency Packs” side panel when a player doesn’t have enough R6 Credits to buy Battle Pass Levels.
• FIXED – Notification marker for new content available fails to display on Battle Pass tile.
• FIXED – Button to “Unlock all Rewards” remains functional after unlocking all levels resulting in incorrect messages displayed.
• FIXED – Completed personal challenges aren’t displayed in the Post-Action Report.

PLAYER EXPERIENCE

• FIXED – Duplicated notifications are displayed.
• FIXED – Mouse sticks to top left corner of screen when closing the game.
• FIXED – Charms purchased through the View More section don’t move to owned list
• FIXED – Sanction ribbon doesn’t use alternate title for permanent sanctions.

AUDIO

• FIXED – Duplicate SFX plays when deploying Breach Charge on a breakable wall.
• FIXED – Audio inconsistencies can be heard by opponents.
• FIXED – Wrong SFX plays for toggles in the Options menu.
• FIXED – Drone SFX remains active for player if drone is destroyed by Vigil.
• FIXED – Vigil’s ERC-7 SFX plays on loop for the droning Attacker who observed Vigil activate and deactivate his ability.

As can be observed there is certainly plenty of changes to be enjoyed from this particular update. Since it is the start of the new year in the game — there are way more changes than the usual patch notes would provide. The meta in Rainbow Six Siege may rapidly change because of Brava’s drone so it will be worthwhile acquiring the new operator if you haven’t as of yet.