Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list 2024: Best attackers and defenders tier list

Rainbow Six Siege’s Year 9 Season 1 has commenced, meaning the meta has changed again with Ubisoft’s latest major update. But for right now, who are the best operators in Ubisoft’s tactical FPS in 2024?

Rainbow Six Siege is now in its ninth year, with over 60 operators for players to choose from. It can be quite difficult to keep up with the best options on both attack and defense. Year 9 Season 1 also marks the arrival of the new attacker from Birmingham in the game, Deimos.

Those changes have naturally translated to our tier list, detailed below. The top three Attackers and Defenders are detailed in no particular order, before a full tier list for each.

Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list: Best attackers

Nomad

Nomad has long been Siege’s best anti-roaming operator, a title that remains true thanks to her Airjab repulsion grenades. They’re the ideal utility for covering attackers’ backs once they’ve breached and are closing in on the bomb sites. There’s nothing worse as a Caveira or Vigil than being catapulted onto your back and awaiting elimination.

Her weapons – a choice of the AK-74M or ARX200 – are solid and complement her balanced play style well. She’s an obvious choice for every attacking team. 

Zero 

Zero is another well-balanced and versatile attacker. One of the few offensive operators to have the option of an SMG (the MP7), his Argus cameras offer intel and threat to defenders. There’s also the option of the SC3000K, which is one of the very best ARs in Siege. 

He was one of few operators to be hit with a speed buff in Solar Raid, making him even more difficult to keep tabs on as a defender. His speed and utility enable him to dip in, set up a cam, and dip out. 

Thatcher

The only real downside of Thatcher is how frequently he’s banned. It certainly reflects his strength, with his EMP grenades easily the most useful and versatile gadget. They continue to fry anything electrical within range and are almost impossible to counter. 

While his speed has been nerfed, his solid loadout options (most notably the L85A2) pair with his arguably overpowered gadget to make him probably the best attacker.

Good luck getting him through the pre-match ban phase though.

Tier	Operator
S	Nomad, Thatcher, Zero
A	Ace, Brava, Finka, Hibana, Jackal, Maverick, Ram, Sledge, Thermite, Zofia, Grim, Kali, Montagne
B	Ash, Blackbeard, Buck, Capitao, Deimos, Dokkaebi, Flores, Iana, IQ, Lion, Osa, Twitch, Blitz, Striker
C	Fuze, Gridlock, Ying, Glaz
D	Amaru, Nøkk
E	Sens

Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list: Best defenders

Jäger

Jäger is one operator hit with nerfs that don’t affect his viability in-game. His Active Defence Systems are as reliable as ever and, despite no 2.5x scope still rankling veterans of Siege, the 416-C Carbine remains a standout defender weapon (even if its magazine is not as big as it once was). So long as he has that in his arsenal, the spawn-peek legend will live on.

Mira

Mira’s only downside is how difficult she is to play. The Spaniard is tough to master but, once you’ve sussed her mirrors and got on top of the Vector. 45’s recoil, there’s not a more difficult opponent for attackers.

Her Black Mirrors provide an insight into attacking teams’ strategies, while a Nitro Cell and shotgun secondary mean she can also be used for counter-attacking plays and soft breaching. She’s one-speed, so Mira players will have to tailor their playstyles to sticking by the bomb.

Aruni

Aruni rounds off our S-Tier defenders. Her equipment may be middling and easy enough for a sensible attacker to navigate without too many problems, but her weapons and versatility make her stand out.

The P10 RONI remains one of the best SMGs in Siege, and her punching ability is unique and handy in numerous scenarios. In short, in terms of defensive strength, Aruni’s a strong option.

Tier	Operator
S	Jäger, Mira, Aruni
A	Azami, Bandit, Echo, Fenrir, Kaid, Kapkan, Mozzie, Mute, Smoke, Solis, Wamai, Valkyrie
B	Alibi, Castle, Goyo, Lesion, Maestro, Melusi, Pulse, Thorn, Thunderbird, Tubarão, Warden
C	Caveira, Doc, Ela, Frost, Oryx, Tachanka, Vigil
D	Clash, Rook

That rounds off our best Rainbow Six Siege operator tier list. You can check out our explainer on Rainbow Six Siege ranks which also explains how you can rank up quickly in the game. You can also stay up to date with R6 server status to check when the servers are down.