It’s a glorious day for Tachanka fans. The Rainbow Six Siege operator will be receiving a complete rework in year five, Ubisoft announced today during the Six Invitational Year 5 panel.
Tachanka’s rework has been an open secret for a few months. The announcement that year five will only feature six operators instead of the usual eight led to speculation that operator reworks would fill the gaps. A change to Tachanka’s bio when Ember Rise released also hinted that a character overhaul was on the way.
Information leaks also suggested Tachanka’s gadget would be changed and his iconic light machine gun would become his primary weapon. Ubisoft confirmed most of these changes and explained how the mobility issues that plague the oversized operator will be addressed.
Lead game designer for Rainbow Six Siege Jean-Baptiste Halle discussed how Tachanka does not currently fit the core gameplay of Siege during today’s panel.
“Being immobile does not really fit with Siege gameplay.” Halle said. “So we have taken the weapon out of the turret and as a first step made it a primary weapon.”
One of Tachanka’s biggest weaknesses is his vulnerability to the other fast operators, especially when using his stationary turret. The transition of the turret to the operator’s primary weapon will allow players to move around freely and deliver a lot of firepower. The weapon can be used to take down non-reinforced walls quickly and can help the defending team with retakes.
Halle also explained the gadget that will replace Tachanka’s turret. “He is also getting an ability which is an incendiary grenade launcher. As you can see in game it’s pretty wild,” Halle said.
The launcher shoots incendiary grenades that can bounce off surfaces and set fire to the area where they land. The device is designed to block enemy advances and can be used to prevent attackers from planting the bomb. The ability will help Tachanka determine where attackers can push from and can help buy time while defenders rotate.
Halle also stated that other operators will be getting reworks in the future. He did not specifically say which other operator but did say they are looking at the least played and most problematic characters.
Tachanka’s rework will help the operator become a viable choice for players. His current design is notoriously broken, and the popular operator deserves this long overdue rework.
