Rainbow Six Siege – Operation New Blood Operator Remaster and Balancing Guide

Operation New Blood is the second season of Year 9 for Rainbow Six Siege, following the release of Operation Deadly Omen in March. The season introduces a recruit remaster, creating two new operators: the offensive Striker and the defensive Sentry. While these former recruits do not have their own gadgets, they do have the unique ability to bring two different secondary gadgets, unlocking the potential for exciting playmaking combos.

Operation New Blood also addresses two dominant defenders with balancing updates for Fenrir and Solis, sharpening their barbed wire to deal damage to operators as they pass through it. In addition to these updates, Operation New Blood also brings additional competitive AI, map filter changes, stadium improvements, and more.

Two new names, many new possibilities

Striker and Sentry now serve as offensive and defensive recruits, respectively, but each can do much more than previous operators. Each can now be selected in ranked battles, and their appearance can be customized with the usual cosmetics, some of which are available in the Operation New Blood Battle Pass. Unlike other operators, Striker and Sentry do not have a unique gadget. Instead, each can choose two secondary gadgets to take to the battle. So Striker can finally fulfill the attacker’s dream of destroying electrified walls alone, deploying Impact EMP grenades and Hard Breach Charges. He can also carve his own path to the objective with Breach Charges and cover his flank with Claymores. For every secondary gadget an attacker can choose, Striker can choose two (if they are not the same item).

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, the Sentry can do the same thing, but with an entirely different set of gadgets to choose from. The Sentry can focus on hiding from the attacking drones, bringing along an Observation Blocker and placing a Bulletproof Camera nearby to further thwart prying eyes. Alternatively, the Sentry can strategically place a Proximity Alert and lurk nearby with a Nitro Cell to surprise any unwary attackers, creating an extremely dangerous situation.

Flexibility is key here. Both the Sentry and the Striker open up the possibility of solo and team utility configurations that weren’t possible before. And there’s a versatile loadout to suit each. On the attack, the Striker will be equipped with an M4 assault rifle or M249 light machine gun as his primary, with a 5.7 USG pistol or ITA 12S shotgun as his secondary. On defense, the Sentry will be equipped with a Commando 9 assault rifle or M870 shotgun as his primary option, with a C75 automatic machine pistol or Super Shorty shotgun in the secondary slot.

Fenrir and Solis balance update

Operation New Blood will also see balance adjustments to Fenrir and Solis to deal with the two dominant defenders. Fenrir will now only be able to distribute four F-NATT Dread Mines and will be able to place two activation codes on them. Mines will also no longer be bulletproof in any state, meaning fewer mines will be active at once, making them easier for attackers to remove. However, when a mine is destroyed, Fenrir will now refund codes instead of losing them, making it easier to use the mines to their full potential. Additionally, the Barbed Wire option will be replaced with an Observation Blocker.

As for Solis, her SPEC-IO Electro Sensor will no longer be available during the preparation phase, giving drone attackers a bit more leeway. Once the action phase begins, the gadget’s duration is reduced to 10 seconds and its range to 12 meters. Additionally, it must be fully recharged before it can be activated. Finally, her impact grenade option is replaced with barbed wire. Moving through barbed wire now costs attackers around 5 HP per second, so be sure to act with caution.

Stadium renovation, addition of AI for opponents, etc.

Other notable updates planned for Operation New Blood include refurbishment of Stadium Alpha and Stadium Bravo. To make these arenas more competitive, bulletproof glass has been removed from many locations and the layout has been altered to better defend certain objectives.

The competitive AI map pool has been expanded to include Coastline and Nighthaven Labs, and new AI operators available to play against include Vigil and Thunderbird. You can now play competitive AI as Ace, Blackbeard, Hibana, and Deimos.

Rainbow Six Siege is currently available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), Amazon Luna, and is included in the Ubisoft+ Premium subscription. Keep an eye on our Rainbow Six Siege news page for the latest updates on the latest seasons and events.