The Level Cap for Ranked in Rainbow Six Siege | Breakdown

Like every mainstream tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege has a competitive ladder system where players either drop down or climb up based on their performance and knowledge of the game. The Ranking system works in a way that ensures players are ranked fairly while also encouraging everyone to keep grinding up the divisions - the outcome is that the overall trend of Rainbow Six Seige's ranking distribution remains unchanged.

What level do you have to be for ranked in R6S?

The level cap for ranked in Rainbow Six Siege is level 50; while some may find the level cap to be bothersome, there's a good reason it exists in the first place.

Purpose of the Level Cap

The level cap ensures that players have grasped at least the bare minimum of the game before competing for higher ranks. This is because when starting out in Siege, if you haven't purchased the Deluxe or ultimate edition of the game, the resources you have in the beginning are very scarce. The base game only contains the 20 basic operators with nonoptimal gadgets, which fail to teach new players even the bare minimum.

During the game's earlier stages, players had to purchase all attachments for their weapons, making the learning curve even steeper without offering many rewards. They had to learn to play the game without attachments and were pressured into purchasing extensions without proper testing.

Rainbow Six Siege, as a game, is ever-changing since it's being updated with new operators, maps, gadgets, and weapons. Therefore, players have to constantly learn to adapt to new strategies and playstyles to keep themselves afloat at the top of the ranks.

Tips for Reaching the Level Cap

As mentioned, the level cap exists to encourage players to learn the game before delving into the ranked playlist. However, instead of going out in the wild and learning these core mechanics on your own through trial and error, we've broken down everything you need to know to reach the level cap and beyond.

Learning Recoil Control

Siege has many weapons; players get to choose from all kinds of firearms including pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and assault rifles.

With over 100 weapons to choose from, each also comes with a unique spray pattern that you have to learn. Every weapon also comes with its own set of applicable attachments that affect the way the weapon behaves, offering benefits. One such primary benefit is reduced recoil over time if you plan on firing full magazines of suppressive fire in order to reduce the overall kick of the weapon when burst firing.

Moreover, players should have a general idea as to what attachment pairs well with what gun before they head into ranked. This can give you the edge over your unsuspecting opponents that might not truly understand how attachments work.

Luckily, as players gain experience, they become much better at controlling spray patterns and recoils, which is why it's important you practice consistently before going into ranked . The Skill difference between Ranked and Unrated RB6 players is simply too big.

Map knowledge

There are currently 23 active maps in Siege, with the ranked pool hosting 16 of the bigger ones.

Rainbow Six Siege not only rewards players with good aim but also greatly appreciates players with good map knowledge. Knowing where to make rotations, how to flank or get around swiftly, where to hide or how to reposition, what walls need to be reinforced, and what walls should never be reinforced is something that can net you wins even if you lack good aim.

Coaches and Professional players all agree that map knowledge is the most important aspect of Siege, which is something people just starting out severely lack. Queuing up competitive on a map you have little to no knowledge about is the equivalent of playing to lose, thus reducing your net MMR.

As such, players are suggested to spend their time learning map layouts, going into custom matches, and playing unrated to build up their map knowledge.

Aiming Mechanics

Siege has many unique mechanics, but the one that stands out the most from other shooters is the ability to lean. There are many advantages to leaning while peeking around the corner, as pre-aiming enemies might not expect you to show up in certain ways, giving you an advantage over shooting first.

Jiggle peeking is also possible because players can spam lean around corners to bait out bullets. How to effectively use both the aiming mechanics stems from the player's understanding of maps and game mechanics learned through trial and error experience.

Operators

There are 65 Operators in Siege, each with unique passives and abilities. Operators are classified into three different classes:

• 3 Speed + 1 Armor: These are highly mobile glass cannons that are great for entry fragging

• 2 Speed + 2 Armor: These are hybrid in nature, capable of supporting both offense and defense

• 1 Speed + 3 Armor: These are behemoths that are great for anchoring or creating space

There are countless ways for players to utilize operators differently from others. Every choice you make stems from trial and error, from being flashy to conserving utility. As such, it is imperative to put your time into your main before you even think about playing ranked, as these split-second decisions can completely change the course of the round.

Not everyone will perform the same; therefore, it's up to the player to find out which operator suits them the best, and there's no better way to do that than actually trying out all of them.

Best Level to Start Ranked

The big question that always gets asked is when I should play ranked or how long I should wait before jumping into the ranked. While there is no set answer to that question as everyone learns and progresses at a different pace.

If you're contemplating jumping into ranked, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you feel confident with your aim and control over your choice of weapon's spray pattern?

• Are you confident in your prowess to get around the map swiftly, making rotations and getting off game-winning flanks?

• Can you confidently push when needed and pull back when needed?

• Can You effectively abuse your operator's core strengths?

If your answers have been yes so far, you might be ready for ranked, but if you're unsure whether it's the right decision, then worry not, as that only presents a new learning opportunity.

Check out our other R6S articles, including a guide on how you can earn free R6S credits and what to do when you can't purchase Rainbow Six Siege credits.