Rainbow Six patch Y7S1.2 notes: Emerald Plains release, Nomad nerfs, more

Rainbow Six Siege is getting a host of balance changes in patch Y7S1.2 just after the launch of Operation Demon Veil. Operators like Nomad and Gridlock are getting an update, the new Emerald Plains map is launching, and more ⁠— here’s the full patch notes.

Rainbow Six Siege’s upcoming balance update, patch Y7S1.2, is one of the game’s biggest in terms of wide-reaching effects.

While the mid-season updates are usually small in size, tinkering with a couple of operators, Ubisoft are pushing changes to more than 20 in an attempt to change two things in the meta: Attacker flankwatch and the defender tier list.

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Oh, and finally, Emerald Plains is hitting live servers. It’s Siege’s first new map in more than three years.

Here’s what you need to know about Rainbow Six patch Y7S1.2, including when the new Operation Demon Veil update drops.

Bandit is getting a big buff making it easier to “trick” attackers.

What’s changed in Rainbow Six patch Y7S1.2?

Emerald Plains, Siege’s first map in three years, added

Rainbow Six Siege’s first map in more than three years has finally arrived in Operation Demon Veil.

Emerald Plains, set in Ireland, was teased at the season’s launch but wasn’t ready in time for launch back in March. Almost two months on though, players can roam around the country club-inspired map.

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Emerald Plains features a cozy interior with a historic, rugged exterior — much like Kafe — with plenty of nooks and crannies to set up defenses in or launch attacks from.

Ubisoft reverts Smoke change and promises LMG nerf

While originally listing Smoke would no longer be immune to his gas canisters after patch Y7S1.2, Ubisoft has reverted the change.

Read More: Ubisoft announce Rainbow Six Siege is coming to mobile

“Recent seasons have seen multiple ‘hidden passives’ removed from operators — think Withstand on Zofia. Smoke was next up to reduce the amount of lore-centered mechanics in the game,” the devs explained.

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“Your passionate feedback has shown that his toxic gas immunity is important, both narratively and mechanically, to his character and to the wider community.”

Balance TS Update ⚙ TL;DR:

We've heard your feedback and the change to Smoke's gas vulnerability will not make it onto Live servers.

We also see your concerns about LMGs. We are working on it and will keep you updated as soon as we have more information to share. pic.twitter.com/g0jDoHPDRb

— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) April 8, 2022

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While Smoke will no longer be facing changes, the devs added “we also see your concerns about LMGs” and are working on changes. Those changes didn’t make it into Y7S1.2, but are coming soon.

Claymore buff gives attackers more flankwatch

Claymores, as a secondary gadget, don’t get a lot of love in Siege. While they’re good for flank watch if you haven’t brought someone like Nomad, they can be easily destroyed ⁠— and you only get one of them.

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However, now attackers will be able to hold two angles with the explosive with a new buff giving them an extra Claymore when they take the gadget.

“The main purpose here is to allow a greater selection of Operators to ‘block’ two different flanks without needing to bring along a dedicated Operator like Nomad or Gridlock. We think this change may make Claymores a more appealing selection in some ⁠— but not all ⁠— cases,” Ubisoft stated.

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Read More: What’s the difference between Rainbow Six Siege Vulkan versus normal?

Currently, 15 attackers have access to Claymores including Blackbeard, who is gaining Claymores this patch after a swap with their existing Breaching Charges.

Gridlock buff pushes her up tier list with more Trax charges

The flankwatch changes for Claymores aren’t the only extra tools attackers are getting. Gridlock has fallen a bit flat in the meta compared to other dedicated operators like Nomad, and a new buff will potentially push her up the tier list.

Gridlock can lock down more flanks with bonus Trax charges.

The Australian attacker will have access to an extra Trax gadget charge ⁠— now up to four ⁠— which can be used to slow down defenders trying to rotate back onto site with the spikes.

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This, plus a nerf to Nomad’s knockback, could end up making Gridlock more viable, especially given the rise of LMGs in Siege.

You can find the full Rainbow Six patch Y7S1.2 notes below.