The next patch for “Rainbow Six Siege”, Y6S3.3, is live on the test server. The test server is for testing, and an update pushed to the server does not guarantee that the update will make it to live servers in the same fashion.
The live server release date for Y6S3.3 is currently unknown.
The patch is meatier than recent patches, and features reworks to Kapkan’s gadget, Castle, Clash, Melusi, Oryx, and Wamai.
Also coming with the patch are “tweaks” to Alibi’s Mx4 Storm and the feared P10 Roni.
Last, but not least, is an update to the Hard Breach Charge secondary gadget.
Kapkan
The rework to Kapkan’s gadget is simple: he can now put as many EDDs (Entry Denial Devices) as he wants on a single door or window frame. He will still be limited to five EDDs, however.
Castle
Castle’s number of gadgets has been increased to four from three. The number of melee hits that will destroy a Castle barricade will be decreased to nine from 12.
While it does come with a downside, this change is primarily a buff to the underutilized operator, as it allows his gadget to cover more windows and doors and will likely force attackers to burn utility to clear the extra panel.
Clash
Clash will gain the Super Shorty (Castle and Gridlock's shotgun secondary) in place of the P10C pistol.
Melusi
Melusi will lose her nitro cell (C4) and gain a bulletproof camera.
Oryx
Oryx’s Remah Dash recharge timer will be decreased from 12 seconds to eight seconds.
Wamai
Wamai will now get six total Mag-NETs, but the range in which the Mag-NETs catch incoming projectiles will decrease from five meters to three and a half meters.
This is in part a reversal of a nerf that came to Wamai with the Operation Neon Dawn update, which dropped the number of Mag-NETs from five to four. Now he gets them back, but with a nerf to the effectiveness of each one.
Hard Breach Charge
The Hard Breach Charge secondary gadget will see an increase in total amount -- operators with the charge will now carry two instead of one.
The operators affected are Montagne, Buck, Fuze, Capitao, Amaru, Nokk, Ying, Zero.
Weapon balancing
The Mx4 Storm (Alibi's SMG) is getting more vertical recoil, whereas the P10 RONI (Mozzie and Aruni's SMG) is getting more vertical and “first kick” recoil. It will also see a magazine size decrease from 19 (+1) rounds to 15 (+1).
Balancing Matrix
Also shown in the Y6S3.3 Designer Notes was an update to the win delta/presence charts, which is one way to measure how each operator is faring under the current meta.
Attackers
Comparing the attackers to the end of last season, the removal of Sledge's SMG has seen him drop back in line with Thatcher and Jackal, while the buff to Twitch's drones has led her to push past Ash and Ace to become the second most picked operator.
Further down, meanwhile, Finka now has the highest win delta following the addition of frag grenades to her inventory at the beginning of the season.
Defenders
For the defenders, almost all operators have seen marginal changes in their positions, with Mute's nerf having a likely smaller than expected change to his overall presence.
The biggest overall change seems to be that of Frost, who has seen a jump in her win delta, despite the operator remaining untouched by balance changes in almost a year now.
These changes have launched on the Test Server on PC today, but it is currently unknown when the Y6S3.3 patch will come to the live build or how many of these changes will continue over into the main game.