Rainbow Six Tactics Brings Turn-Based Strategy to the Franchise

Ubisoft has unveiled Rainbow Six Tactics, a turn-based tactical single-player game coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC. Revealed during gamescom’s Opening Night Live, the new entry shifts the franchise away from its FPS roots while keeping the strategic DNA that defines Rainbow Six intact.

What Rainbow Six Tactics Actually Is

Rainbow Six Tactics puts you in command of Six, leading a squad of up to four Operators through high-stakes missions across diverse global locations. You’ll move through a full mission cycle: selecting objectives, assembling your squad from a roster of 15 Operators, preparing in HQ, and then executing turn-based tactical gameplay in the field.

The game features destructible environments—a staple of Rainbow Six Siege—letting you breach walls, destroy cover, and create new sightlines. There’s also a mechanic called The Breach, a special synchronized assault move that breaks the turn-based rhythm, allowing all active Operators to move simultaneously as they storm a new area, combining their abilities with environmental destruction.

Between missions, you can train your Operators, review intelligence, and strengthen your team. The campaign includes dozens of possible missions with varied objectives like hostage rescue, bomb disposal, and target elimination. Each of the 15 playable Operators comes directly from Rainbow Six Siege—Ash, Sledge, Nokk, Montagne, and others—complete with their signature gear, abilities, and distinct skill trees.

Why This Matters for Rainbow Six

The Rainbow Six franchise has defined itself through tactical depth and high-stakes decision-making since its inception. Siege brought that DNA to competitive multiplayer with destructible environments and operator-based gameplay. Tactics represents a natural extension of that philosophy rather than a departure—it’s the same focus on intel gathering, careful planning, and adapting to unfolding situations, just experienced through a turn-based lens instead of real-time action.

Creative Director Elie Benhamou emphasized that the core elements that make Rainbow Six work—planning, coordinated breaches, distinct operator roles, and the need to adapt—translate smoothly to turn-based gameplay. The inclusion of Siege’s Operators and their abilities means players familiar with the competitive game will recognize these characters and understand their synergies, though applying them in a slower, more deliberate context.

This approach also opens the franchise to players who may prefer strategic thinking over twitch reflexes, potentially broadening Rainbow Six’s audience without abandoning what makes it distinctive.

What’s Next

Rainbow Six Tactics is currently available to wishlist on the Xbox Store. Players should watch for more details on release timing and whether the game might eventually expand beyond its single-player campaign focus.