'Rainbow Six Siege': A Closer Look At The New Defender, Azami

The latest operator to enter the ever-growing roster of playable characters in “Rainbow Six Siege” has been revealed, and she’s bringing with her an ability that can transform the meta all on its own.

Azami, a Japanese defender with a history in private security, is making her way inside team Rainbow in "Operation: Demon Veil," the first season in Year 7 of “Rainbow Six Siege.” Her unique gadget is the Kiba Barrier, a set of kunai throwing knives fitted with canisters that create bulletproof barriers in a small radius upon impact.

Players can deploy Kiba Barriers on almost every surface in the game, from doorways to couches and any other object that can provide a tactical advantage to Azami and her team. This opens up tons of new options for defenders. Azami can block drone holes, doors and windows to prevent attackers from entering a site. She can also create a cover on the go by throwing kunai at standing objects, which can block line-of-sight and provide some much-needed protection whenever Azami is caught off-guard.

However, Kiba Barriers can still be broken with tools like breaching charges, Ash’s grenade launcher or Sledge’s hammer. Barriers can also be destroyed with a few good whacks with melee attacks. “Siege” is also giving attackers the ability to repick their operators during the Prep Phase, which will let players counter defender picks more easily.

As for her loadout, Azami can choose between the 9x19VSN SMG or the ACS12 shotgun for her primary weapon slot along with a D-50 for her secondary slot. Players can also bring some Barbed Wire and Impact Grenades for some extra area denial and battlefield manipulation along with Azami’s Kiba Barriers.

The utility of the barriers alone can be enough to make Azami a must-pick on certain maps, especially those with vulnerable cneilig breach points. This also means that attackers with breaching tools are going to be more prevalent in matches where Azami is present in the defending team, which could lead to some interesting strategies and counter-strategies for both teams.

Azami and the other features coming with "Operation: Demon Veil" are expected to reach the live servers by mid-March.