Rainbow Six nerfs Ying after backlash over overpowered buff

Ubisoft have released a Rainbow Six Siege hotfix that nerfs attacking operator Ying after huge backlash over an “overpowered” buff in the game’s Y5S1.2 patch on April 21.

Ying was added to the game in August 2017’s Operation Blood Orchid update and was once a somewhat popular pick, though her pick rate has slowly declined through each update as more effective operators become available.

In an effort to make Ying more effective and balanced, Ubisoft gave her some extra utility – but likely weren’t prepared for the incoming backlash after the change.

One of Ying’s main gadgets are her Candelas, explosives that create multiple blinding flashes when detonated. While originally Ying had 3 candelas, the patch gave her an extra one, bringing the total up to four, and it caused uproar among the Siege community.

• Read More: Rainbow Six Y5S1.2 patch notes: Ying buff, Jager, Buck nerfed & more

Immediately people were irritated at what appeared to be a clear overpowered buff to some players, and it seems as though Ubisoft themselves soon realised they had made a mistake.

As well as a daily level cap for PvE and a fix to the MMR rollback popup bug, Ying’s candelas have been reduced back to three, only nine days after the initial buff.

This wasn’t initially mentioned when Ubisoft addressed the community’s top issues and concerns on April 23, so it’s not clear when they decided that the Ying buff needed to be reverted.

• Read More: Everything we know about Rainbow Six Y5S2: Operation Hidden Eyes

Players were evidently delighted in the replies to the announcement tweet, with popular streamer and former pro player KingGeorge thanking them, saying he “can’t wait to be able to see things in Ranked again.”

The Rainbow Six Siege April 30 update rolls out on PC only at 9am EDT (6am PDT / 2pm BST).