Operation Black Ice is the first major content drop for Rainbow Six Siege, and players don't need the season pass to enjoy most of what it has to offer.
The mostly-free update is live now on all platforms and includes a new map, a spectator mode, new weapon skins and a number of bug fixes and "quality of life" improvements. Players who own the game's season pass will find they now have two new Canadian operators to try out: Frost and Buck.
Frost is a defensive operator who uses a non-lethal leg trap to pin unsuspecting enemies in place. Her offensive partner, Buck, is a breaching powerhouse, as both of his weapons sport an under-barrel shotgun that makes him deadly in both long-range and short-range encounters.
Season pass owners have one-week exclusive access to the new operators, but come Feb. 9, all players will be able to purchase the characters either with in-game Renown or by spending real cash.
The game's new spectator mode lets players get a bird's-eye view of the action. This will let players join games purely as a bystander, allowing them to pick up useful strategies by watching from the sidelines.
In addition to the new content, Ubisoft is throwing in a number of small improvements that should make fans happy. For starters, players can now see what the objective is during loading and planning phases of a match. No more picking Fuze by accident for hostage situations! Operator shout-outs are now muted for the other team, so they won't be able to hear what your team is planning. Flashbangs are getting a buff, with their range now doubled, and reinforced walls and barricades will now protect players while they are being deployed.
Those are just a few of the big changes coming, but there are numerous other smaller fixes that hardcore players will want to read over. You can check out the full update details here.
