Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm patch notes: All Y7S3 changes

Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm has gone live with a ton of changes. The Y7S3 patch notes include a major recoil rework long in the making, along with new gadgets and a buff to Fuze and Kali.

Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm, the Year 7 Season 3 update, has hit live servers after a period of testing. That means players can tinker with new attacker Grim, the Stadium ranked map, and other miscellaneous updates.

Our first recommendation would be jumping into the Shooting Range though and testing out the recoil changes, which are the biggest update in the Operation Brutal Swarm patch. A total overhaul to recoil and gun attachments will drastically shake up the meta, but also give players way more customization.

There are a handful of operator balancing changes too ⁠— most notably for Fuze and Kali, but some smaller updates like a new EMP gadget that’ll give more attackers more denial power.

Read on for the full list of changes in Rainbow Six’s Operation Brutal Swarm, including the full patch notes.

What’s changed in Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm?

Major recoil changes shake up gun meta

Ubisoft has long teased major updates to the recoil system in Rainbow Six, and they’ve finally shipped with Operation Brutal Swarm.

Recoil across the board is going to be harder to control, with adjustments to both vertical and horizontal recoil during long sprays. This, developers say, should revert Siege into being about precise gunplay and not just holding down left-click on a 100-bullet LMG.

Ubisoft are also giving players more weapon attachment options on all weapons, making guns more customizable across the board and allowing players more control over their weapon choices.

New EMP grenade reduces Thatcher priority

Attackers will gain access to a new EMP grenade gadget as part of Operation Brutal Swarm. It works like an Impact Grenade, but instead of destroying walls and other objects, it merely disables gadgets within a small radius.

While Thatcher will still be the premier EMP option, it should free up other attackers to do his job to an acceptable level. Blackbeard, Montagne, Dokkaebi, Nokk, Gridlock, Sledge, Lion, and Osa are the lucky eight to get the Impact EMP Grenades as a third gadget.

Fuze & Kali get more buffs, but no major Finka nerfs

There are a handful of operator balancing changes on top of the new EMP grenade in the Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm patch. The two most significant changes are to Fuze and Kali ⁠— both of their gadgets are getting a helping hand, while Kali’s weapon will also have less recoil.

The controversial Finka is getting a nerf too, but nothing significant. The premier entry operator is having her Frag Grenades replaced by Smokes from here on out, reducing her firepower. Maverick also had a similar set of changes, now equipped with Flash Grenades.

Buck and Capitao have gained access to the Gonne-6, while Iana has lost it, and there’s some other smaller changes too. You can find the full Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm patch notes below, live in game as of September 6.

Rainbow Six Operation Brutal Swarm patch notes

Weapon balancing

Weapon recoil

Weapon Recoil on Console will no longer follow changes made on PC and is unimpacted by the following changes.

Vertical recoil has been increased on all weapons and adjusted to their expected power level.

Increased overall recoil on:

• All Assault Rifles
• All SMGs
• All LMGs
• Machine Pistols

Weapon recoil on console

Softened overall recoil on:

• M762
• R4C
• MX4
• EVO-3 Scorpion

Increased overall recoil on:

• 6P41
• LMG-E
• G8A1
• Spear .308

Recoil attachments

• Compensator
  • Added the Compensator to the following weapons:
    • 6P41 (Fuze, Finka)
    • M249 SAW (Gridlock)
    • FMG9 (Nokk, Smoke)
    • SPSMG9 (Kali, Clash)
    • MP5 (Doc, Rook, Melusi)
    • P90 (Doc, Rook)
    • C1 9mm (Frost)
    • M12 (Caveira)

• Flash Hider
  • The Flash Hider will be removed from the following DMRs:
    • 417 (Twitch, Lion, Sens)
    • Ots-03 (Glaz)
    • CAMRS (Buck)
    • SR-25 (Blackbeard, Flores)
    • MK14 (Dokakebi)
  • Added Flash Hider to the following weapons:
    • C1 9mm (Frost)
• Muzzle Brake
  • Added the Muzzle Brake to the following weapons:
    • 6P41 (Fuze, Finka)
    • AUG A2 (IQ, Wamai)
    • G8A1 (IQ, Amaru)
    • M249 (Capitao)
    • Bearing-9 (Hibana, Echo, TB)
    • M249 SAW (Gridlock)
    • SMG-11 (Amaru, Smoke, Mute)
    • SPSMG9 (Kali, Clash)
    • C1 9mm (Frost)
• Vertical Grip
  • Added Vertical Grip to the following weapons:
    • OTs-03 (Glaz)
    • ARX (Nomad)
    • C1 9mm (Frost)
    • T-5 (Lesion, Oryx)
• Suppressor
  • Removed damage reduction.
• Extended Barrel
  • Added the Extended Barrel to the following weapons:
    • 9x19VSN (Kapkan, Tachanka, Azami)
    • MP5K (Mute, Wamai)
    • FMG9 (Nokk, Smoke)
    • MPX (Valkyrie, Warden)
    • PDW9 (Jackal, Osa)
    • T-5 (Lesion, Oryx)
    • 552 Commando (IQ)
    • G36C (Ash, Iana)
    • Spear .308 (Finka, Thunderbird)
    • Bearing-9 (Hibana, Echo, Thunderbird)
    • K1A (Vigil)
    • MP7 (Zero, Bandit)
    • MP5 (Rook, Doc, Melusi)
    • F2 (Twitch)
• Angled Grip
  • Added the Angled Grip to the following weapons:
    • L85A1 (Sledge, Thatcher)
    • R4C (Ash)
    • 417 (Twitch, Lion)
    • OTs-03 (Glaz)
    • 6P (Fuze, Finka)
    • SR25 (BB. Flores)
    • M249 (Capitao)
    • LMG-E (Zofia)
    • Spear (Finka, TB)
    • ARX (Nomad, Iana)
    • F90 (Gridlock)
    • M249 SAW (Gridlock)
    • MP5 (Doc, Rook, Melusi)
    • 416 (Jager)
    • Vector (Mira, Goyo)
    • T-5 (Lesion, Oryx)
    • SMG-11 (Amaru, Smoke, Mute)
• Laser
  • Added the Laser to the following weapons:
    • OTs-03 (Glaz)
    • G8A1 (IQ)
    • GSH-18 (Finka, Fuze, Glaz, Kapkan, Tachanka)
    • C75 AUTO (Dokkaebi, Vigil, Kali)
• Weapon Sights
  • Added all sights up to the maximum allowed for the following operators:
    • Alibi ACS12: +1.5
    • Amaru G8A1: +1.5
    • Dokkaebi BOSG: +1.5 +2.0
    • Fuze AK-12: +1.5
    • Fuze 6P41: +2.0
    • Finka Spear: +1.5
    • Gridlock F90: +1.5
    • Goyo TCSG: +1.5
    • Hibana Type: +2.0
    • IQ AUG: +1.5 +2.0
    • Jackal C7E: +1.5
    • Kaid TCSG: +1.5
    • Lion V308: +1.5
    • Maestro ACS12: +1.5
    • Nomad AK74: +2.0
    • Osa 556: +1.5
    • Rook MP5: +1.5
    • Thermite 556: +1.5
    • Thatcher AR33: +2.0
    • Thatcher L85A2: +1.5
    • Vigil BOSG: +1.5 +2.0
    • Zofia M762: +1.5
  • Changed maximum sight available to the following operators:
    • Goyo Vector: +1.5
    • Ace AK-12: -2.0 +1.5
    • Iana ARX: -1.5
    • Mute MP5K: -1.5
    • Nomad ARX: -2.5 +1.5
    • Sledge L85A2: -2.5
    • Kaid AUG: -1.5
    • Finka 6P41: -2.5 +2.0
    • Zofia LMG-E: -2.5
    • Wamai MP5: -1.5
    • Capitao Para: +2.0
    • Blackbeard MK17: +2.0
    • Iana G36: +1.5
    • Frost C1: +1.5
    • Pulse UMP: +1.5

Gadget Balancing

• EMP Grenade
  • Added EMP Impact Grenade as 3rd Gadget to the following Operators:
    • Blackbeard
    • Montagne
    • Dokkaebi
    • Nokk
    • Gridlock
    • Sledge
    • Lion
    • Osa

• Frag Grenade
  • Reduce range to 3.6 meters
  • Change damage curve
• Hard Breach Charge
  1. Reduce activation time to 4s (from 5)

Operator Balancing

• Fuze
  • Reduce drilling time to 2s (from 3)
  • Increase pellets’ trail visibility
  • Add smoke grenade as 3rd gadget
• Kali
  • Increase charges to 4 (from 3)
  • Reduced CSRX vertical and horizontal recoil.
  • Increased CSRX camera recovery time after recoil.
• Glaz
  • Add Claymore as 3rd gadget
• Capitao
  • Add Gonne-6
• Iana
  • Remove Gonne-6
• Finka
  • Replace Frag. Grenade with Smoke Grenades
• Maverick
  • Replace Frag. Grenades with Stun Grenades
• Buck
  • Add Gonne-6

Bug fixes

Gameplay

• FIXED – Thermite’s Exothermic Charge only destroys the metal part of a reinforced wall.
• FIXED – Shotgun rounds are invisible if a player reloads with 1 round left and fires the shotgun at the same time.
• FIXED – An Operator’s gadget automatically activates after swapping from their gadget to their ability and then back.
• FIXED – Some gadgets have no collision with the hostage.
• FIXED – While crouch-walking, the Operator slows down when the controller stick-input is within a certain range.
• FIXED – Defenders can still shoot with the Bulletproof Camera while Dokkaebi is hacking the Defenders’ Observation Tools.

Level design

• FIXED – Meleed barricades on Clubhouse map don’t always appear destroyed for some players after an Attacker has repelled through them.
• FIXED – Operators can shoot through indestructible windows on Villa map.
• FIXED – Multiple LOD issues on various maps.

Operators

• FIXED – Nokk’s head slightly changes position when activating HEL Presence Reduction, which makes her less vulnerable when peeking.
• FIXED – Can’t change the zoom level on Kali’s CSRX300.
• FIXED – Blitz and Fuze’s vault animations with shields equipped don’t match between first and third person point of view.
• FIXED – An Operator’s left knee clips through an equipped Ballistic Shield when looking around.
• FIXED – Montagne can’t pick up or drop the defuser while Le Roc Shield is extended.
• FIXED – IQ’s shoulder is displaced when activating the Electronics Detector.
• FIXED – Observation Tools hacked by Dokkaebi aren’t deactivated by Thatcher’s EMP Grenade when an Attacker is using them.
• FIXED – Ying’s Candelas are marked with a generic ping instead of a contextual one.
• FIXED – Bandit’s Shock Wire can’t be deployed on a reinforced wall if Melusi’s Banshee or Goyo’s Vulcán Canister is deployed in the center.
• FIXED – Ace’s S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breacher has collision issues with other deployable deviced.
• FIXED – The activation sequence of Ela’s Grzmot Mine doesn’t reset after being deactivated by Thatcher’s EMP Grenade.
• FIXED – Mute receives score points when Blitz goes within range of a Signal Disruptor after activating a flash charge on the G52-Tactical Shield.
• FIXED – Mira can’t deploy a Black Mirror near a Ballistic Shield.
• FIXED – Operators can’t vault from the sides of Osa’s Talon-8 Shields.
• FIXED – Missing Icon for both deploy and pick-up action reminder for Bandit’s Shock Wire.
• FIXED – Pinging Iana’s Gemini Replicator produces a generic ping instead of a contextual one.
• FIXED – Iana can control the Gemini Replicator from the Drone POV when deploying both of them in quick succession.
• FIXED – Nomad’s Airjab reload animation is incorrect when a grip is equipped to her weapon.
• FIXED – Glaz’s Flip Sight is not aligned with the iron sight of the OTS-03 weapon.
• FIXED – Various Victory Dance issues for multiple Operators.
• FIXED – Various issues with Azami’s Kiba Barrier.
• FIXED – Various weapon VFX issues.
• FIXED – Various Operator and device VFX issues.

User experience

• FIXED – The suffix of a player’s nickname won’t load correctly if they reboot the game while reconnecting to a match.
• FIXED – Incorrect voice lines are played when Operators are hit by friendly fire.
• FIXED – Skip function doesn’t work for Situation videos.
• FIXED – Camera gets stuck when spectating a match if the spectated Operator or drone is eliminated or destroyed.
• FIXED – Missing drone icons in Match Replay.
• FIXED – Missing highlight on the selected player card in Match Replay.
• FIXED – Missing light VFX when an EMP Impact Grenade is held in Match Replay.
• FIXED – Visual issues in the Home section and Operator Showcase.
• FIXED – The After Action Report is not displaying the intended animation.
• FIXED – Operator icons overlap when viewing someone else’s perspective as a Spectator.
• FIXED – Hit indicator is the same color when destroying a teammate device as it is when destroying an opponent’s.
• FIXED – Destroying Castle’s Armored Panel with Hibana’s X-Kairos does not count towards the Breakthrough Battle Pass challenge.
• FIXED – The warning message is missing from the confirmation panel when activating any type of Booster.
• FIXED – Operator Guide steps don’t update when changing between Advanced and Standard deployment for drones and devices.
• FIXED – Players are unable to use voice and text chat while in the lobby of an Online Custom Game.
• FIXED – Various Privacy mode issues.
• FIXED – Various UI issues.
• FIXED – Various input issues on controllers and keyboards.
• FIXED – Various Audio and SFX issues.
• FIXED – Various Match Replay issues.
• FIXED – Various Spectator mode issues.
• FIXED – Various Custom Game issues.
• FIXED – Various Customization issues.
• FIXED – Various Localization issues.