The next Rainbow Six game will both be very familiar and completely new if the launch trailer during Ubisoft’s E3 showcase is anything to go by.
On one hand, Rainbow Six Extraction seems to be packed full of the tactical, cooperative shooting action that the series is known for. But while the early Rainbow Six games were based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name, it’s fair to say Ubisoft is taking a new direction, with the counter-terrorist squad dealing with alien invaders for a change of pace.
You might like…
You may have originally known Extraction by its original name of Rainbow Six Quarantine. For obvious reasons, Ubisoft has decided that a brand name less associated with the last pandemic laden year might be a better bet – so Extraction it is.
The game is a spin off to Rainbow Six Siege’s excellent Outbreak mode, where players fight through waves of mutant AI beasties instead of terrorists. The concept looks a bit more fleshed out, and will let teams of up to three players work together to kill or escape the alien invaders, using a mix of 18 Operators – some of whom they’ll have gotten to know through the main Rainbow Six Siege game.
As you can see from the trailer below, Ubisoft hasn’t just introduced aliens with no explanation. There’s an explanation involving an asteroid that infects the world’s population, requiring intervention from the Rainbow Six operatives. Cue the usual mix of slow paced tactical warfare and explosive moments of action. The game will take place across 12 maps with procedurally generated content to keep things fresh.
The game is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Stadia and Windows on September 16. Pleasingly, if your squad is split up between console ecosystems, you’ll be able to team up across platforms.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
