Two of Rainbow Six Siege’s most broken operators are about to get major nerfs

Rainbow Six Siege is entering a new season on June 11, the second of Year 9 for the game. As part of that, two of its most effective defensive operators are getting major nerfs that could shift the meta significantly.

Defenders being overpowered has the potential to wildly shift individual games of Rainbow Six Siege. As such, Fenrir, Solis, and Kapkan (to a lesser extent) are at the forefront of conversations in the community regarding balancing.

The arrival of the Operation: New Blood season is going to change that. It’s introducing major changes for Fenrir and Solis that should bring them in line with other defensive options. These aggressive nerfs should help address frustrating balancing issues.

On Fenrir, the changes are more about enabling other players to subvert his biggest strength – traps. The latest Designer’s Notes had this to say about the operator:

“Our main goal is to provide Attackers with additional methods and opportunities to effectively handle the deployed mines while enhancing a more strategic environment without negating Fenrir’s anti-rush capabilities.

“Fenrir’s effectiveness will now be closely tied to the deployment type and gadget size, rather than relying mainly on bulletproof capacities. Similar to other devices, ensuring that the mines are discreet and strategically placed increases their effectiveness and survivability through the round.”

In Rainbow Six Siege, Fenrir is banned in a staggering 81% of PC games at Emerald rank and above.

Solis has been a lesser offender but still hasn’t escaped the nerf hammer. The operator will now be less able to aggressively deal with attacking drones. SPEC-IO resources are also deemed too generous and will be reduced.

“Solis has proven highly effective in hunting and neutralizing drones, which are crucial to build a successful Attack strategy. If Attackers cannot reveal the defenders’ setup and position their drones inside the building, the attack is likely to fail.

“Our goal is to strike a balance: Solis should remain relevant in this role while Attackers gain additional opportunities to fulfill their droning operations,” read the Designer’s Notes.

The new season of Rainbow Six Siege will allow players to see if these changes are too extensive. Which operators will step in to fill the gaps in the meta is unclear, but Mira and Kapkan seem likely options at this stage.