Y8S2 Designer's Notes - Alibi to lose Shield and Impacts, Smoke to lose Shield, Grim buff, new Observation Blocker gadget

Today, Ubisoft have released the Designer's Notes for Y8S2. It included information about Operation Dread Factor and the changes planned for the upcoming season.

The announcement also included more information about Rainbow Six Siege's new device, the Observation Blocker. Here's everything you need to know!

Operation Presence

Today's Designer's Notes included information about the operator presence in Emerald and above matches. Let's have a look at how the charts look now:

For more information, check out Ubisoft's Designer's Notes for Y8S2.

Attackers - PC

In PC, Sens and Grim are the worst operators in terms of Win Delta and Presence in Ranked matches. Meanwhile, Sledge, Ace, Ash, and Iana are the most used operators from Emerald and Above.

Attackers - Console

Console isn't much different, with Grim and Sens also being at the bottom of the chart. However, Buck seems to replace Sledge, while Ace's presence ratio goes up to 50.

Defenders - PC

In PC, Clash's presence stands out as it is around the 1 and the 2%. Rook is the operator with the highest win delta while Jäger is the operator with the highest presence. Meanwhile, Oryx's has gone down the charts after losing his x1.5 scope.

Defenders - Console

In Console, Oryx's kept his place in the meta and he currently stands as the operator in with the highest presence ratio with 60. Kapkan, Rook, and Frost are the three defenders with the highest win delta.

Ban rates

The Ban Rates aren't much different, with Thatcher and Jackal being the two most banned operators on attack and Mira, Kaid, and Kapkan the three most banned on defense.

Observation Blocker

Rainbow Six Siege's new gadget, the Observation Blocker, will arrive to the game with the release of Operation Dread Factor. Each operator with access to the Observation Blocker will have three of these devices.

According to Ubisoft's description, the Observation Blocker "creates a digital barrier that blocks vision from any Observation Tool, such as drones, Iana's Gemini Replicator, or Brava's Kludge Drone, so operators or gadgets cannot be spotted through it."

While observation tools can't see through it, operators can. Meanwhile, defensive gadgets like Maestro or Valkyrie cameras aren't affected.

Observation Blockers are easy to destroy, as they aren't bulletproof. Moreover, Brava can hack the gadget.

These are the Rainbow Six Siege defenders that will have access to the Observation Blocker:

• Alibi
• Caveira
• Rook
• Warden
• Maestro
• Pulse
• Jäger
• Kaid
• Ela

Operator Changes

With the arrival of Operation Dread Factor, many operators will go through changes in Rainbow Six Siege.

Alibi

Ubisoft have decided to remove the Deployable Shield and the Impact Grenades from Alibi's loadout. Instead, she will be able to equip three Observation Blockers or two Proximity Alarms.

Clash

Clash will be able to be equipped with a Deployable Shield.

Goyo

Goyo is losing his C4. Instead, the Mexican operator will have access to a Bulletproof Camera or to Impact Grenades.

Grim

Ubisoft have decided to transform Grim's loadout due to the lack of playtime in the game.

Grim's gadget will be heavily buffed as the Kawan Hive Launcher equip time will go from 1.1 seconds to 1. The rate of fire will be increased from 40 rpm to 70 rpm.

The projectile deployed will also change, as its activation time will be quicker (from 1 to 0.4 seconds). The duration of the projectile has been increased from 8 to 16 seconds, while its radius has been increased from 3.6 to 4.6 meters. 

With the launch of Operation Dread Factor, Grim's bees will detect any part of the defenders' body, not only the head. On top of that, the projectile will lose its bulletproofness.

Finally, Ubisoft have introduced the Bailiff 410 and two Hard Breaching Charges to his loadout in hopes to make him a better operator for the game's current meta.

Jäger

Jäger is losing his Barbed Wire and will have access to the Observation Blocker.

Pulse

Ubisoft have decided to set his C4 as a default gadget for pulse. Moreover, he will lose his Barbed Wire and will be given a Deployable Shield and three Observation Blockers.

Smoke

With the arrival of Operation Dread Factor, Smoke is losing his Deployable Shield. Instead, he will have two Proximity Alarms.

Tachanka

Tachanka has been given Proximity Alarms.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird has lost the C4 and the Impact Grenades. He has been given Barbed Wire and a Bulletproof Camera.

Her gadget is also expected to go through changes. The Kona Station's cooldown has gone from 35 to 15 seconds, while the Kona Station's healing has ben reduced from 30 to 20 hps.