'Rainbow Six Siege' Crimson Heist Update Adds New Openly Gay Operator

Ubisoft is prepping its playerbase for the next patch for tactical team-based shooter “Rainbow Six Siege” with a brand-new trailer for Operation Crimson Heist. The operation packs a handful of new features, including a secondary weapon, a rework of the Border map and a brand-new Operator who is also the game’s first openly gay character.

Santiago “Flores” Lucero is a medium-speed, medium-armor operator from Argentina who’ll be joining Team Rainbow as an attacker. According to a press release from Ubisoft, Flores is a master thief who used to steal from crime lords based in Buenos Aires and California.

In-game, Flores shakes up the field by introducing the new RCE-Ratero drone, which comes strapped with a small explosive charge. Players can use these drones to blow up operator gadgets such as Maestro’s Evil Eye cameras, Echo’s Yokai drones, Bandit’s batteries and every other gadget that can otherwise be shot or destroyed.

Flores is equipped with four Ratero drones and only has 10 seconds to use them upon deployment. These drones can be used to kill enemy players, but the slow detonation time can make this difficult.

“Rainbow Six Siege” players can choose between the AR133 assault rifle and the SR-25 DMR for the primary weapon slot, while the GSH-18 remains Flores' only sidearm option. Flores also comes equipped with stun grenades for room entry and claymores for defense against flanking attacks.

Flores’ addition to the “Rainbow Six” roster is a step in the right direction as far as inclusion for LGBTQ+ community members goes. The character behaves similarly to how the rest of the game’s operators do, and his homosexuality is simply a trait that’s unique to his character.

The Crimson Heist update is the first of the planned updates for “Rainbow Six Siege’s” sixth year. At least three new operators will be coming to the game, along with more reworks to existing maps and operators, PCGamesN reported.

Operator changes will be focused on adjustments to utility-based gadgets. Goyo’s exploding shields will be replaced with explosive charges that can be mounted onto floors or walls, while Mira and Maestro’s cameras will have more counter-play options.