Rainbow Six Siege Braces for GTA 6 Launch Impact

The launch of GTA 6 is expected to affect even long-running live-service games, according to Rainbow Six Siege creative director Joshua Mills. He anticipates a temporary decline in player numbers when Rockstar's title arrives in November. Ubisoft plans to respond by increasing its support for the Siege players who remain active during that period.

The expected impact on Rainbow Six Siege

Mills acknowledged the scale of the launch in a conversation with The Game Business, as reported by IGN. Rainbow Six Siege has been active since 2015 and continues to have a dedicated audience. Even so, the director believes some of those players will temporarily leave to try GTA 6.

Mills does not believe a game's genre will protect it from that movement. “It doesn’t matter what genre you’re in — you’re going to take a hit when that drops,” the director said. He added that members of the Siege team also intend to play GTA 6.

The expectation, however, is not that those players will be gone permanently. Mills believes people will play GTA 6 and eventually return to Rainbow Six Siege. In his view, Ubisoft needs realistic expectations so that a decline in player numbers does not create unnecessary anxiety within the team.

That preparation includes keeping developers and Ubisoft's leadership aligned on the potentially temporary nature of the change. Mills noted that teams can become concerned when they see numbers fall without the proper context. GTA 6's arrival is therefore already being considered in how Siege's performance will be assessed.

Ubisoft also wants to prioritize the players who remain active. Mills described the team's golden rule as serving those players “like kings and queens” rather than easing off during a competing launch. The plan is to reward people who choose to spend their time with Rainbow Six Siege even at the peak of interest in GTA 6.

Ubisoft's planned response

Rainbow Six Siege's fourth season is expected to arrive around the same period as GTA 6. Mills said the season will change the game in different ways, although he did not explain those changes. The team has also held back unannounced surprises that are intended to make a splash.

This strategy does not mean Ubisoft expects Siege to compete for equal attention with GTA 6. The creative director openly accepts that the game will probably lose players for a while. Ubisoft's response will be to keep supporting Siege instead of slowing down while the wider market focuses on Rockstar's launch.

The situation described by IGN extends beyond Rainbow Six Siege. According to the outlet, publishers are crowding releases into September and early October to avoid GTA 6's November arrival. Live-service games cannot simply leave the calendar, however, and must manage any decline in activity while continuing to operate.

What this changes for players

For Rainbow Six Siege players, the comments indicate that Season Four will move forward during GTA 6's launch period. Those who remain may encounter rewards and surprises designed to maintain interest in the game. The source does not identify that content or say whether players will need to meet any special requirements to receive it.

For GTA 6 fans, there is no announced change to the game's price, access, platforms, or content. Mills' comments instead offer a snapshot of the expectations surrounding its launch across the industry. Even a community established since 2015 is adjusting its plans around the possibility of a temporary shift in player attention.

Mills also describes that shift as something shared by players and developers. By saying that everyone on the team intends to play GTA 6, he acknowledges that the interest extends beyond any one genre's audience. Ubisoft is preparing for that attention without assuming Siege's players will disappear permanently.

What remains unknown

Ubisoft has not revealed the surprises planned for Season Four, the rewards being prepared, or when they will become available. It has also provided no estimate for the potential decline in player numbers. There is currently no figure that can measure GTA 6's expected impact on Siege in advance.

The duration of that change in player behavior also remains unclear. Mills expects people to return, but he did not provide a timeframe for that recovery. According to IGN, Ubisoft's strategy is to accept the temporary decline, keep its team aligned, and increase its support for the community that remains active.