Rainbow Six Siege Update 2.51 Patch Notes For Y8S2 Today (May 30)

Operation Dread Factor has been deployed.

A brand new update for Rainbow Six Siege will be deployed later today, marking the beginning of Y8S2 with a brand-new operator, new balance changes, bug fixes, a map rework, and plenty more.

Fenrir is Rainbow Six Siege's newest defender, fully equipped with the new F-Natt Dread Mine. This new throwable device sticks to walls and induces an emotional state that temporarily limits a person's capacities. Fenrir also comes with two selectable primary weapons, the MP7 or SASG-12, and a secondary weapon, the Bailiff 410.

READ MORE: Rainbow Six: Siege - Best Brava Loadout & Gadget Strategies

Unfortunately, before players can jump into Y8S2 there will be some lengthy downtime. So, here's everything you need to know about the latest Rainbow Six Siege update, including the Y8S2 release time and patch notes.

Server downtime for today's Rainbow Six Siege update will begin at 6PM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST. According to Ubisoft, servers will be offline for up to 90 minutes. During this time, players will be prompted to download a new patch for the new season. Patch sizes for all supported platforms can be found below:

Below you will find the official patch notes for the May 30th Rainbow Six Siege update, which marks the beginning of Y8S2.

NEW OPERATOR

MAP REWORK: CONSULATE

Consulate has received various tech and gameplay updates this season which affect all floors and sites to create more opportunities and a more balanced map with added complexity. Attackers spawns have also received some love to reduce frustrations and allow for a safer approach. Overall, the goal of these changes is to reduce map control from the outside and force Attackers to spend more time inside.

SHOOTING RANGE UPDATE

Shooting Range is getting a new Aiming Lane that lets players test out weapons against moving targets to identify how the recoil and damage relates to in-game situations, and tweak and test their custom aiming options in real time.

In addition, players can now use a breakable wall in the Damage Lane to test the destruction-related damage of different weapons.

PERMANENT ARCADE PLAYLIST

This new permanent playlist lets players hop into Arcade modes for some quick matches that differ from the norm. Game modes coming to this playlist are Headshots Only, Snipers Only, Golden Gun, and Deathmatch.

Also releasing in the Arcade playlist Free For All, a new and teamless game mode where everyone is an opponent.

BALANCING

NEW GADGET: OBSERVATION BLOCKER

The Observation Blocker is an intel-denial gadget that projects a digital barrier which blocks the line of sight for opponent drones and Observation Tools so they can't spot Operators and devices on the other side.

The Observation Blocker's digital barrier is only visible from a drone or Observation Tool and can't be seen by or affect Operators themselves.

GRIM BUFF

Grim's changes this season aim at making the Kawan Hive Launcher more responsive by reducing its equip time and increasing the rate of fire so it can fill an area quicker than before. In addition, Kawan Hives now release their charges faster, allowing a well-placed Hive to better catch nearby Defenders. To keep this change well-balanced, Hives are vulnerable to more damage types so that a quick Defender can still destroy the Hive before a swarm is released. Once released, the swarms are now bigger and stay longer, but they track a Defender for less time once the Defender has stepped outside of the swarm.

Additionally, Grim's loadout is being modified to increase flexibility and allow for more creative ways to use his unique ability.

ACCESSIBILITY

NEW CONTROLLER LAYOUTS

There are three new controller layouts coming this season that bring alternate inputs for shooting, crouching, and leaning. These new layouts aim to tackle difficulties reported to cause discomfort and make Siege a more comfortable gaming experience for everyone.

Players can find the new layouts in the Controller Layouts section of the Options menu, where input changes from the default layout are highlighted for quick reference.

PLAYER COMFORT

FREE CAMERA IN MATCH REPLAY

Match Replay now lets players use a free camera to look at recorded footage from any angle to review strategies and create content.

SQUAD UPDATE

During the Post-Action Report, Squad members can let the Squad Leader know that they're ready to play with the click of a button, and Squad Leaders will be able to skip the remaining timer and begin matchmaking.

OPERATOR PRICE DECREASE

With every season, select Operators get a price decrease, and Operation Dread Factor is no exception! Going down to 10,000 Renown or 240 R6 Credits are Operators Ace and Melusi. Thunderbird's price is decreasing to 15,000 Renown or 360 R6 Credits. Finally, Sens is now priced at 20,000 Renown or 480 R6 Credits.

SEASONAL WEAPON SKIN

Keep a tight grip on your power, lest it flows out and consumes all! Get your hands on the Bound Fury Bundle, which includes the Wicked Reckoning weapon and attachment skin, the Life and Bane charm, and the Fear Obsession operator card background. The seasonal weapon skin will be released at the season launch and available for purchase throughout the season. Once unlocked, it remains in your inventory indefinitely and can be applied to all available weapons.

OPERATOR BALANCING

GRIM

THUNDERBIRD

ADDITIONAL LOADOUT CHANGES

GOYO

PULSE

ALIBI

JAGER

TACHANKA

CLASH

ELA

ROOK

WARDEN

CAVEIRA

KAID

MAESTRO

SMOKE

​​​​​​​TWEAKS AND IMPROVEMENTS

PLAYER COMFORT

Reputation Penalty UI Update

GAME HEALTH

Top of the Ladder Improvement

Playlist Update

Unbannable Map

Unbannable Operator

FEATURE UPDATE

Audio Input/Output Device Selection

Further details on today's update can be found on the official Rainbow Six Siege website.

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Kyle has a degree in Film, Television, and Cultural Studies and is a die-hard Call of Duty player. He's also a PC enthusiast and is always looking for a reason to upgrade his rig.