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[IbizaPocholo]

After a long hiatus, which intersected with the canceled Patriots game, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six returned to market with Rainbow Six: Siege in 2015. The online tactical shooter launched to positive critical reception but little fanfare, its early days beset by game-breaking bugs and frustrating server errors. Ubisoft Montréal navigated the maelstrom of issues over time, elevating the title to a standard of quality where it could competently dominate in the oversaturated games-as-a-service space. With Siege’s PvP multiplayer on lock, Ubisoft tried its hand at PvE by building upon the alien-infested Outbreak mode that debuted in Siege. The publisher originally subtitled the endeavor Quarantine, then rebranded as Extraction because of the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of its naming conventions, many would argue the PvE experience hardly stood a chance.

Not unlike its predecessor, Extraction hit retailers and digital storefronts with little in the way of anticipation. Ubisoft Montréal’s newest Rainbow Six entry missed the mark critically, however, its at-best average review scores painting the picture of a spinoff that couldn’t live up to that which came before. It was a technically sound shooter, sure, but very little of what made Siege successful reflected in Extraction.

Worse still, Extraction arrived amid a crisis of identity for Tom Clancy’s gaming franchises. Longtime players were begging for back-to-basics tactical shooters and stealth games, while the French publisher supplied bombastic, over-the-top experiences that ignored the grounded qualities so beloved in the likes of Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. In terms of optics, then, an alien invasion-centric co-op shooter couldn’t have launched at a worst time for Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy IP.

This is the tragedy of Rainbow Six: Extraction.

Intro 0:00
Sponsorship 2:41
The Tragedy of Rainbow Six Extraction 3:57

• The video discusses the tragic fate of Rainbow Six Extraction, a spin-off of the popular game Rainbow Six Siege.
• Extraction failed to live up to the standard set by Siege and received average reviews upon release.
• Extraction was released at a time when Ubisoft's Tom Clancy franchise was struggling with its identity and facing criticism for deviating from the "Back to Basics" tactical shooter games that made the franchise popular.
• The original concept for Extraction was a non-violent space exploration game called Pioneer that eventually became too difficult to develop.
• Pioneer was used as part of a hacking mission in Watch Dogs 2 and was later revealed in a fake E3 trailer tweeted by former director Alex Hutchinson

• Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Extraction had a series of Crisis events throughout 2022, offering free unlocks for new technologies, gear, cosmetics, and operators.
• The first spillover event was the ultimate defensive experience, where squads of three had to fend off waves of enemies.
• The nightmare fog event centered around a toxic tree that spread hallucinogenic fog, and Eclipse dropped players into zones suffering through power outages.
• Aftermath offered the formidable death marker ability that obliterated alien foes marked by whichever Squad mate wielded the power.
• Ubisoft believed that Extraction differentiated itself enough from Rainbow Six Siege to not adversely affect the player base of the other, but the streamlined deployment of new content couldn't maintain players.
• Ubisoft silently withdrew support for Extraction a year after its release, and development had ceased a couple of months prior.
• Extraction's inclusion of aliens did not elevate the Tactical gameplay users had grown accustomed to over the years, and it represented the culmination of what went wrong with Ubisoft's Clancy IP.
• Ubisoft favored themes and gameplay elements better suited for service-driven revenue models rather than pushing the envelope with smart tactical experiences.

Introduction​

Rainbow Six Extraction was released as a PvE (Player vs. Environment) expansion of the popular PvP (Player vs. Player) game Rainbow Six Siege. The game was highly anticipated by fans but upon release, it failed to impress the critics and the players alike. This article explores the reasons behind the game's failure and how it could have been different.

The Early Days of Rainbow Six Siege​

Rainbow Six Siege, a tactical online shooter, was released in 2015 to positive critical reception but little fanfare. Its early days were beset by game-breaking bugs and frustrating server errors. However, Ubisoft Montreal navigated the maelstrom of issues over time, elevating the title to a standard of quality where it could competently dominate in the oversaturated games as a service base with Siege's PvP multiplayer unlock.

Extraction - Missed Opportunities​

Ubisoft tried its hand at PvE by building upon the alien-infested outbreak mode that debuted in Siege. The publisher originally subtitled the endeavor Quarantine, then rebranded as Extraction because of the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of its naming conventions, many would argue the PvE experience hardly stood a chance. Not unlike its predecessor, Extraction hit retailers and digital storefronts with little in the way of anticipation.

Ubisoft Montreal's newest Rainbow Six entry missed the mark critically, with best average review scores painting the picture of a spin-off that couldn't live up to that which came before it. It was a technically sound shooter, sure, but very little of what made Siege successful was reflected in Extraction. Ubisoft's attempt to pivot the Rainbow Six brand to PvE was met with mixed results.

Identity Crisis for Tom Clancy's Gaming Franchises​

Longtime players were begging for back-to-basics tactical shooters and stealth games, while the French publisher supplied bombastic over-the-top experiences that ignored the grounded qualities so beloved in the likes of Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell. In terms of optics, then, an alien invasion-centric co-op shooter couldn't have launched at a worse time for Ubisoft's Tom Clancy IP.

This is the tragedy of Rainbow Six Extraction.

The Unsuccessful Pioneer​

Deep within the fabric of Rainbow Six Extraction sits the shell of something far removed from first-person shootouts against strange alien species. The project began as a sci-fi game of a different sort - a non-violent space exploration adventure that predated Hello Games' No Man's Sky. A small team led by Far Cry 4 creative director Alex Hutchinson conceived the idea not long after the Far Cry sequel shipped in late 2014.

According to Hutchinson, the zero-gravity endeavor, codenamed Pioneer, manifested as an opportunity to expand upon how people engaged with in-game systems. Players would have navigated 3D spaces across smaller, more detailed environments compared to the wide-open areas comprising Ubisoft's Far Cry installments. Apparently, the sheer scope of Pioneer proved too difficult to mold into a finished product, thus the team made developmental progress in fits and starts.

Conclusion​

Rainbow Six Extraction's failure was a result of several factors - Ubisoft's attempt to pivot the brand to PvE, the lack of innovation in the game, and the timing of the release. Had Ubisoft taken more time to perfect the game, Extraction could have been the game that players had hoped for. Ubisoft's attempt to create something new and innovative with Pioneer didn't work out, and the result was a game that lacked direction and purpose. Perhaps, Ubisoft needs to refocus and listen to its players to get its franchises back on track.

 

[TrebleShot]

There’s nothing tragic about a shit game failing. Learn and adapt , is Ubisoft incapable?

 

[The Cockatrice]

I tried the game with a few friends. You'd think the siege gameplay would work well as a coop game, because at its roots vegas 1&2 were one of the best coop games but nothing it did clicked with me and my friends. It was just fucking boring. Shooting blobs of alien goo is not something I would called tactical coop shooter. They were just too lazy to make proper human enemy AI that adapt to the player, like SWAT4 or as I said the Vegas games so they went with lazy shit.