Operation Ember Rise is adding two new Operators to the Rainbow Six Siege roster. The first is a Defender named Goyo, whose Volcán Shields provide deployable cover with a fiery, explosive surprise. The second is an Attacker named Amaru, who can use her Garra Hook to quickly zip up to rooftops, exterior windows, open hatches, and skylights. And new Operators aren't the only thing changing up the Siege landscape this season; the Kanal map is set to receive a significant rework. Watch the new Operators in action in the video below, and keep reading for more details.
Goyo, The Defender
Goyo comes from Mexico's FES unit and is a savvy tactician who can rapidly deploy his Volcán Shields to stymie incoming Attackers. The Volcán Shield shares all the attributes of a deployable shield, including a redesigned look and the new snap-to-doorways feature, but the Volcán Shield does something other shields can't. Anytime Goyo, his teammates, or even the attacking team set off the incendiary core attached to the back of a Volcán Shield, there's a small explosion that sets the surrounding area on fire. The lingering flames will do major damage to anyone, Attacker or Defender, who wanders through them.
This explosion can be triggered by damaging the core directly or destroying the shield entirely, so Goyo doesn't necessarily have to be the one to set it off. In fact, as a medium-speed, medium-armor Operator, he can be quite deadly while either roaming with his Vector .45 ACP or hunkering down with the TCSG12 shotgun. If things go bad, his shields are still a threat even after he's been killed. And, because shields can now be fitted into doorways, the Volcán Shield can be especially lethal when paired with a hidden Kapkan trap.
Attackers will have to keep Goyo's shields in mind when planning their attack. While Thatcher's EMP grenades and Twitch's drone can't disable the incendiary core, and IQ can't detect it, the Volcán Shield still plays by the rules of a deployable shield. That means it can be destroyed — and its explosion triggered — by a frag grenade, Ash's breaching round, or Zofia's impact grenade. Anyone with a clear line of sight to the incendiary core can set it off, meaning a poorly placed Volcán Shield can be a big liability for the defending team.
The goal with Goyo is to leverage the power of the Volcán Shield and deny entry to enemies at critical moments, or simply buy your team some time early on. When the Attackers are pushing, or when a round is coming to an end, trigger your Volcán Shields to keep your opponents away from the objective or cover your flank. A well-timed Volcán explosion can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Amaru, The Attacker
While Goyo seeks to impede the movement of his enemies, the Peruvian Attacker Amaru can get around the map like no Operator before, thanks to her Garra Hook. Her gadget lets her zip to any rappelable ledge or window to quickly position herself where Defenders aren't expecting her to be. And once she's inside the building, the Garra Hook lets her travel up through open hatches and skylights — a first for Rainbow Six Siege. Defenders will have to adjust their strategy accordingly, or risking being outflanked and outmaneuvered.
The Garra Hook makes it easy to choose your destination by clearly showing what it can or could grapple to (if you were in range). You can't grapple to something that's too far away or too far below your position, but you can use the hook for horizontal traversal as long as you're entering a window. Once inside a building, you can't target anything but open hatches and skylights. While the hook will instantly break a wooden barricade on a window, a Castle barricade will prevent you from even targeting it, and a closed hatch will need to be opened before you can ascend through it. Amaru's Supernova or ITA12S shotguns will come in handy if Defenders leave those hatches unreinforced.
Garra Hook entry is a bit noisy, so team communication and good droning are important to make sure you're not met with gunfire upon entry. Amaru doesn't pull her gun up until she's entered and put two feet on the floor, so she's completely vulnerable to Kapkan and Frost traps lying in wait, not to mention any Defenders who may have heard her coming. Operators who can give her a quick buff, like Finka, or use their gadgets to distract Defenders, like Ying or Dokkaebi, are strong pairings for Amaru, but with medium speed, medium armor, and a G8A1 LMG in her hands, Amaru is a well-rounded and very mobile force to be reckoned with.
Kanal Rework
The Kanal map will receive a major facelift in Operation Ember Rise. The map is still split between two buildings, but an additional bridge has been added to increase building-to-building movement options. (Of course, Amaru can use her Garra Hook to travel between the two buildings without the bridges). There are now fewer windows around objective sites and the rooftops have been reconfigured to make runouts more risky. Additional staircases and color-coding throughout both buildings have been added for more rotation options and easier callouts.
The reworked Kanal map will be free for all players when Operation Ember Rise launches. The two new Operators, Goyo and Amaru, will be immediately available for Year 4 Pass holders, and all other players can unlock them seven days later with Renown or R6 credits. For more on Rainbow Six Siege, check out our previous coverage.
