Wednesday, 07 July 2021 00:31

Rainbow Six Siege Returning Outbreak Packs Sparks 'Cash-Grab' Controversy with Community

Written by Rory Young
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Rainbow Six Siege players are voicing their frustrations after Ubisoft reintroduces Outbreak Packs without bringing back Outbreak mode.

Rainbow Six Siege is one of the most popular live service games currently available. For the most part, Ubisoft has accomplished that by keeping the monetization elements of Rainbow Six Siege relatively modest, or at least unobtrusive. However, a decision by the Rainbow Six Siege team to reissue 50 extremely rare cosmetics solely through packs that can be purchased with real money has insensed the typically accommodating fanbase. Whether Ubisoft will respond to Rainbow Six Siege player frustrations remains to be seen.

In an announcement made on Tuesday, Ubisoft revealed that Outbreak packs would be returning to Rainbow Six Siege for a limited amount of time. Outbreak Packs are the sole way to unlock cosmetics from the Outbreak Collection, which featured 50 items including uniforms, weapon skins, charms, headgear, and even an Elite Set. The key difference between now and when the Outbreak Collection was first available was that Outbreak Packs could be earned multiple ways, both by playing the limited-time Outbreak mode or by purchasing an Advanced Edition of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.

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The only way to acquire Outbreak Packs now is to spend hard-earned R6 Credits or by purchasing R6 Credits with real money. There's otherwise no in-game way to earn packs, nor has Ubisoft brought back Rainbow Six Siege's popular Outbreak mode alongside the packs. That's why some Rainbow Six Siege players are accusing Ubisoft of a "cash grab" with content that previously felt exclusive and earned, since it rewarded participation during a limited-time event.

Fans have offered up a variety of ideas for how Ubisoft could improve the situation. They range from unlikely, like bringing back Outbreak mode temporarily, to leaning into Ubisoft's profit-driven goals, like bundling packs and Outbreak cosmetics into a limited edition of Rainbow Six Extraction. Given the event's already begun and only lasts two weeks, any dramatic changes seem impossible.

The frustration isn't just among Reddit commenters, either. Prominent Rainbow Six Siege players and influencers including Macie Jay and Pengu have added their voices to those voicing displeasure with the situation. Pengu by far has the harsher criticism, saying, "You can't keep the game running by trying to cash grab, your playerbase can't afford this, these 50 skins are almost double the price of a AAA game."

As for why Ubisoft is re-releasing these rare skins now, it's likely in part due to the recent full reveal of Rainbow Six Extraction and its upcoming September launch. The Outbreak mode and skins were a clear precursor to the upcoming cooperative multiplayer game and Siege will be innately tied to Extraction in more ways than one. Monetized cosmetics just may not have been the best way to go about building up hype.

Rainbow Six Siege is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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