Operation Twin Shells is coming to Rainbow Six Siege with a new Greek Operator who brings a bold approach to battlefield tactics and mobility. The Defender, Skopós, does not take to the field herself, but rather remotely controls two "shells," switching between them at will. The active shell plays just like an Operator and wields the new PCX-33 assault rifle, while the inactive shell crouches down, deploys a bulletproof shield, and functions as an observation tool. This flexibility gives Skopós a unique presence and power as her team works to repel the Attackers. Skopós will be available at the start of the season with the Operation Twin Shells Battle Pass, and unlockable two weeks later with Renown or R6 Credits.

The third season of Year 9 also brings balancing updates for Solis, Nøkk, and Dokkaebi, as well as a new boost ability to help drones evade the Defenders' watchful eyes. The release of Versus AI 2.0 will now allow you to play as a Defender against attacking AI enemies to work on your site setup and defense skills. Plus, the Siege Cup beta brings new competitive opportunities and rewards, recent anti-cheat updates are enhancing game security, and you'll soon be able to warm up by entering the shooting range while matchmaking.

Skopós and her V10-Pantheon Shells

Skopós is a combat veteran and former squadmate of Deimos who has seen more than her share of action. Due to past injuries, she now uses a wheelchair to get around, but that isn't stopping her from bringing her experience to bear on the battlefield. Her two remote-controlled shells, named Talos and Colossus, allow her to navigate the map unlike any other Operator before her. She can only control one of them at a time and if the active shell is eliminated, so is Skopós. Eliminating the inactive shell is still an important objective for her foes, because left unattended, it can provide valuable intel for the Defenders, and could become active whenever Skopós chooses to switch.

Switching between shells gives Skopós tremendous tactical flexibility when it comes to choosing which parts of the map to exert control over. She could stash one shell in a corner where Attackers may be unlikely to scout, poised for a flanking maneuver at just the right time. Or cover two areas adjacent to objective sites and be able to spring into action when the Attackers' plans become clear. Maybe she even uses the inactive shell as cover or a distraction while her active shell plays close by, pressuring the Attackers from unexpected angles.

The active shell can do anything an Operator can; the same movement, shooting, and secondary-gadget usage rules apply. Both shells wield the new PCX-33 assault rifle as their primary weapon and the P229 sidearm as their secondary, and share a pool of impact grenades or proximity alarms. They are 2-speed 2-health when active, and when inactive, they assume a crouched position and deploy a bulletproof barrier in front of them. The inactive shell also functions as an observation tool for the defense, and it is by accessing the observation controls of her inactive shell that Skopós can switch to make it the active one.

In order for Skopós to switch shells, there must be enough room for her active shell to deploy the barrier shield; an on-screen alert indicates when something is obstructing the switch. The barrier shield is bulletproof, but not explosion-proof, so Attackers like Ash and Flores (or anyone with a frag grenade) can destroy it and reveal the not-at-all-bulletproof shell behind (there's also a glass window that can be shattered, if you have the right line of sight). Destroying the inactive shell does not eliminate Skopós from the round, but it is a significant blow to her defensive capabilities. Attackers can also temporarily disable the inactive shell (and prevent Skopós from switching to it) with EMP grenades or Dokkaebi's hack. Furthermore, Brava is able to use her Kludge Drone to overheat the inactive shell and destroy it, though Skopós does receive a warning that this is happening and has time to switch to the shell before it is destroyed.

The active shell is not vulnerable to EMPs, hacks, or Brava's drone sabotage, nor does it show up on IQ's scanner as a gadget. It essentially functions as an Operator, albeit a mechanical one that cannot receive healing from Doc or Thunderbird, nor benefit from Rook's armor plates. However, because the shell does not have lungs, it does not suffer deleterious effects from Smoke's toxic canisters or Fenrir's F-NATT Dread mines, allowing Skopós to make bold plays in synergy with these powerful gadgets in clutch situations.

Solis, Nøkk, and Dokkaebi Balancing Updates

The next phase of Solis' balancing (started in Operation New Blood) brings further changes to her SPEC-IO Sensor's functionality. Now, only the center of her gadget screen will detect gadgets, and it will not reveal the gadget type until she uses her new activated ability called Overclock. Each charge of this ability (max of 3 per round) refills the sensor's energy gauge and identifies the gadgets she detects, though it also alerts any Attacker using the gadget that the gadget has been spotted. Furthermore, the existing scan ability of her SPEC-IO sensor will require less energy to be activated.

Nøkk is getting a buff to her stealth capabilities. From now on, her gadget's energy consumption won't be time-based, but action-based. This means that as long as you're not moving, you won't consume any energy, and will be able to remain hidden from cameras.

Finally, Dokkaebi will now begin each round without any charges for her hack ability. She will gain a charge every 45 seconds up to a maximum of two per round.

Drone Boost, Siege Cup, Versus AI and More

• Attackers will have some more maneuverability when scouting with their drones in Operation Twin Shells, as a new boost ability will give drones the ability to temporarily increase their speed for fasting surveilling or quicker escapes.
• Versus AI 2.0 will add the option to play as a Defender against a squad of attacking AI enemies, all the better to hone your site setup, gadget counters, and overall defense strategy.
• The Siege Cup Beta brings a bi-weekly in-game tournament for players looking for an elevated competitive experience; the test will be PC only at first.
• Players will now be able to enter the Shooting Range during matchmaking in order to help hone their aim just prior to the action.
• Catch up on recent efforts to enhance the game's security and anti-cheat effectiveness.

Rainbow Six Siege is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), and Amazon Luna, and is included with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription. Stay up-to-date with the latest seasons and events at our Rainbow Six Siege news page.