Inside the large world of esports with Canadian-made Rainbow Six Siege

The competitive Rainbow Six Siege scene has come a great distance.

In 2017, the first-ever Six Invitational (SI) esports match was held for the Ubisoft Montreal-developed tactical first-person shooter, bringing collectively six competing groups for a $100,000 prize pool. The occasion was hosted within the Canadian developer’s hometown, and it returned there for 3 subsequent years.

Since then, SI has grown considerably to turn out to be one in all Twitch’s most-watched esports titles, with Ubisoft increasing its worldwide footprint with occasions in such cities as São Paolo, Stockholm, Paris, and Boston whereas upping the prize pool to a whopping US$3 million (about C$4.1 million). This may be a very robust efficiency for any 10-year-old recreation, particularly in a market that’s lengthy been oversaturated with reside service video games, lots of which find yourself being shut down. Siege even underwent a rebrand final yr to Siege X that included the sport going free-to-play, which little doubt introduced in new gamers.

However Siege can be notable as a result of it’s a giant Canadian success story in an trade the place Canadian builders typically go unrecognized and unsupported. Whereas round 1,000 individuals all over the world now work on Siege, practically half of the workforce relies at Ubisoft Montreal, together with the core artistic crew.

None of that is misplaced on Joshua Mills, the artistic director on Siege. As hundreds flocked to Paris for the 2026 SI final weekend, Mills took a while between matches to sit down down with media and Siege creators. Notably, he’s been engaged on Siege for over 4 years, beforehand as recreation director (accountable for engaged on the core gameplay expertise) earlier than turning into artistic director (overseeing the outlining of the general artistic imaginative and prescient) this month.

For Mills, Siege’s longevity speaks to the expertise and fortitude of Canada’s recreation makers.

“As a Canadian, I discover we’re very passionate individuals who love to provide it our all, and we don’t again down from a problem – we go all in on a regular basis,” he says. “Like esports, aggressive video games, and simply reside service [games] usually, it’s extremely aggressive, it’s very, very difficult, and it’s all the time ongoing, however we don’t cease – we preserve going.”

It’s a sentiment that’s echoed by Maxime Vial, Ubisoft Montreal’s Rainbow Six esports director.

“It’s actually the crew – in terms of the dev crew of the sport, and having seen that product develop and develop through the years, how the neighborhood has grown, it’s actually magical to see that the mission that you just put a lot love and coronary heart into will get to remain for thus lengthy,” he says. “Siege is a recreation that began with a fairly distinctive premise. Again then, there weren’t many hero shooters, and so we’re actually excited and joyful to see that we’ve simply managed to maintain it and in addition carve ourselves such a singular house within the online game style.”

Certainly, in a market largely dominated by high-octane, over-the-top shooters like Name of Responsibility, Battlefield and even Fortnite, Siege stands out for its deal with slower-paced, strategic matches. It may well make for a rollercoaster of feelings, as seen within the Grand Finals between Europe’s Workforce Secret and the U.S.’ FaZe Clan. After repeated additional time durations during which attendees went wild each time Workforce Secret managed to clinch a match, FaZe finally gained 3-1, defending its title as Invitational Champion.

Whereas some outsiders may simply see this as a bunch of boys sitting at computer systems enjoying video games, the reality is that there’s rather more to it than that. Simply ask Troy Jaroslawski, a Canadian professional Siege participant with Toronto’s Shopify Insurrection. The Canadian crew made it to the SI playoffs however misplaced within the decrease bracket to the U.S.’ Spacestation Gaming.

As Jaroslawski explains, esports could be a full-time dedication. Usually, his day begins at 10 a.m. with a exercise, adopted by a meal and reviewing some replays of scrimmages. From round 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., he’ll be practising together with his crew, exterior of a dinner break in between. This routine goes for six days every week.

“Individuals can’t imagine that – they’re shocked that I’m a professional gamer. Once they converse to me and listen to about how I am going and reside my day-to-day life [with] my mindset, they’re very stunned — it nearly shatters stereotypes [about] avid gamers,” he says.

He’s been with SI because the starting and even gained the match in each 2017 and 2020. And his connection to Siege has even come full circle, on condition that Shopify Insurrection relies in Toronto, and he even competes below the identify of “Canadian” amongst U.S. teammates.

“I’m very proud to be Canadian, and I’m very joyful now that I do play for a Canadian group. I nonetheless reside in Toronto, that’s all the time been a giant factor [for me], too,” he says.

All of this has helped him proceed to understand Siege, even in spite of everything this time.

“It’s simply the depth of the sport – what number of layers there are to it, by way of how the meta may be modified in so some ways,” he says, referring to the entire various kinds of Operators, devices, and items of destructible atmosphere. “There’s so many ranges to it and a lot depth to it, and I believe that simply emphasizes, much more so, the technique and teamwork as effectively, as a result of there’s a lot it’s a must to contemplate. So there’s extra issues it’s a must to do to ensure you’re on the identical web page.”

And despite the fact that Shopify Insurrection didn’t do in addition to within the 2026 SI as he’d have hoped, he says he nonetheless enjoys being on the occasion to look at his fellow gamers.

“I identical to seeing the sport performed on the highest stage. I believe the rationale that I’ve performed so long as I’ve and why I’m good on the recreation is as a result of I’m form of a pupil of the sport. I actually like watching good groups play and attempting to be taught from them, attempting to determine why they do what they do,” he says.

He provides that Siege represents what he loves about sports activities usually. “On the extra human facet, once I’m a aggressive individual, I grew up on sports activities my entire life as effectively,” he says. “So I simply all the time admire the tales of opponents as effectively. So once I’m out of the match, there’s participant storylines that I’ll root for.”

SI 2026 in Paris.

In the same vein, Vial says SI is a superb alternative to convey collectively individuals who could in any other case not have met.

“I’ve a reminiscence of assembly one of many [Siege] content material creators. She was not the largest content material creator, however she’s somebody from the Philippines that had such an influence on the native scene, and we invited her to one in all our SIs in Montreal,” he says.

“I bear in mind having been in contact together with her for a few months, seeing her getting ready for this journey, after which her coming to SI and seeing what it’s like for the primary time at an occasion like that. It felt actually humbling for me to see that we might have an effect on the lives of a few of our neighborhood members and provides them the chance to satisfy their followers in individual on the opposite facet of the world in a very completely different nation.”

“That’s one thing I really feel each time I get into an area — it’s simply an incredible feeling,” provides Sebastian Ratto, Paris-based Rainbow Six senior director of aggressive merchandise. “For all of us who’re concerned day by day on the sport, that increase of vitality reminds us why we’re all doing this.”

And whereas this speaks to the expertise of truly being at SI, many most likely underestimate how a lot goes into making all of it occur. As Ratto explains, SI is the proper instance of the worldwide enterprise between Ubisoft Montreal and its companions.

“The aim of the esports crew is, ‘How can we showcase the sport at its greatest?’” he says. “It’s quite a lot of work. Maxime and I are working collectively, end-to-end, with completely different experience, specializing in each the ecosystem of the sport and what we do for the area as effectively. It’s how we foster this atmosphere to then get the crew prepared and the fan hype round these worldwide occasions.”

FaZe Clan (pictured) gained Six Invitational 2026.

In complete, it takes a few yr to place collectively an occasion like SI 2026 in Paris. All year long, as many as 200 individuals from throughout Ubisoft and its companions at esports leisure firm Blast will probably be engaged on SI, in response to Vial. That’s to say nothing of different Siege-related occasions, just like the R6 Majors in numerous cities or subsequent yr’s Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“There are quite a lot of massive occasions to ship all year long,” says Vial. “It’s throughout the clock.”

The dialog between developer and neighborhood

One of many highlights of SI concerned a panel that includes Mills and his fellow Ubisoft Montreal builders, former Siege artistic director Alexander Karpazis and reside content material director Christopher Budgen. Whereas on stage, the builders shared a roadmap of what’s coming to Siege in 12 months 11, together with, most notably, the addition of Steel Gear’s Stable Snake as a playable Operator.

In fact, the crossover with a legendary gaming franchise drew loud applause, nevertheless it was fascinating to additionally see comparable reactions from the group over bulletins associated to new fan-requested gameplay tweaks, just like the return of placement matches, the brand new Social Hub and dropping the 6v6 Twin Entrance mode to focus extra on the core 5v5 expertise. And when the teleprompter skilled technical difficulties, the viewers inspired the builders with cheers and an impromptu wave throughout the world.

12 months 11 of Siege is led by a Steel Gear-themed crossover. (Picture credit score: Ubisoft/Konami)

All of this speaks to the distinctive relationship between developer and fanbase, the place the 2 work carefully collectively to form the way forward for Siege. And within the case of a recreation like this, which has such an enormous aggressive scene, Ubisoft Montreal needs to be cautious to strategy any adjustments with each informal and hardcore gamers in thoughts.

“We’ve received to take heed to all of it,” says Mills about soliciting suggestions. “For instance, in Munich [at the Blast R6 Major] and even at SI, we met with the professional groups and sat down with them and went over a bunch of stuff in a workshop. ‘What are the factors of friction for you? What’s happening? What do you’re feeling such as you want? How’s the balancing?’”

He says the Munich assembly was significantly notable as a result of that was proper earlier than a “massive” patch, 4.2, was about to drop, and so gamers needed to adapt. “The perfect half about that [is] they knew how effectively that’s going over with the neighborhood, and what that does for the sport as effectively. As a result of if individuals are excited then meaning we’re going to have extra individuals coming to take a look at the professional scene and seeing like, ‘Hey, possibly I can try this,’ and get to that time and the vitality is there.”

“[It’s about] discovering a center floor in all of this whereas additionally sustaining a really robust enjoyable issue that’s going to permit all gamers to nonetheless take pleasure in their expertise,” provides Vial, noting that Ubisoft additionally holds common workshops with informal gamers. “As a result of even for gamers who’re sinking hundreds of hours into this, [it might not be] as a result of it’s their job, however as a result of they take pleasure in it. So it’s about balancing all of this.”

Mills says “unbreakable” has been the mantra behind Siege because the starting. (Picture credit score: Ubisoft)

In fact, you’ll be able to’t please everybody, and that’s one thing Jaroslawski says extra individuals ought to perceive.

“I believe they get much more flack than they deserve. The grass is all the time greener, there’s all the time one thing to complain about all over the place. I’ve heard comparable complaints concerning the recreation, that it is perhaps dying, and stuff like that. I’ve heard it since yr one of many recreation,” he says. “And each time it finally ends up the identical method. They make good adjustments, we find yourself getting increasingly help for the sport as effectively […] The sport as an entire may be very a lot alive.”

For Mills, all of it comes again to an ethos that has pushed the builders at Ubisoft Montreal because the very starting of Siege.

“In the event you see any of the Siege devs, they’ve blue jackets on, they usually’re these cool jackets we received for the tenth anniversary. On the again, it says ‘unbreakable,’” he explains. “And again in that point, each time that problem was in entrance of us, the assertion and the rebranding, internally, of who we’re was, ‘We’re unbreakable.’ We by no means cease. We preserve transferring ahead. We take our hits, we be taught from them, and we get higher.”

Rainbow Six Siege X is free-to-play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X/S, PC and Amazon Luna.