Anyone who has played a Halo game on the Xbox 360 is well aware of the need to shell out cash for additional multiplayer maps, and for a time it seemed this was going to be the way things were done forever. Recently, however, certain publishers have been backing away from that practice, and now Ubisoft is one of them.
If you’re planning on playing the publisher’s upcoming Rainbow Six Siege, don’t worry about having to pay for new maps. The company hasn’t said that it won’t sell DLC, simply that maps will be downloadable for free.
“At launch, Rainbow Six Siege will have 11 maps, playable both day or night, all using the full potential of our Real Blast destruction technology. In addition, all post-launch maps will be downloadable for free,” Ubisoft said in a statement. “We want players to stay with us for the long term and have ambitious post-launch plans that we will detail at a later stage.”
This is especially important in competitive multiplayer games as it helps a game’s community to thrive. Paid map packs fragment the userbase, dividing players into those who can play every map, and those who can’t. If players can’t easily jump into a match, they’re going to move on to a game where they can.
If you’re waiting to see how well Rainbow Six Siege plays, you’ll have a chance next week when the closed beta of the game launches on September 24. Those who have pre-ordered the game should already have a code to enter the beta, while those who haven’t can sign up to be placed on a waiting list.
Originally slated for an October 13 release, Rainbow Six Siege will now be released on December 1, with Ubisoft saying that “extra testing and added polish will make for a higher-quality experience at launch.” The game will be available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and a special collector’s edition of the game will sell for $150.
