Game developer Ubisoft has provided some major insights into the 2025 esports season for its FPS title Rainbow Six Siege.
The new competitive calendar will include a new LAN ‘kickoff’ event in May, two regional league stages between June to October and a Major in November. The season will conclude in 2026 with February’s Six Invitational 2026 in France.
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According to the developer, the new 2025 ecosystem — which includes the introduction of the Challenger Series, an updated R6 Share system and its new calendar — looks to provide a more “sustainable, dynamic and engaging esports scene.” Ubisoft will also continue to work alongside tournament organiser BLAST for the 2025 season.
This year’s Rainbow Six esports season will conclude in February 2025 in Boston, United States. Following the event, in March and April, the new season aims to put a spotlight on grassroots and tier two teams, via the Challenger Series. Taking place during the offseason, the Challenger Series consists of open qualifiers, group stages and playoffs to provide a path into the 2025 Regional Leagues.
The best-performing teams from the playoffs will have the chance to earn promotion into their respective Regional Leagues. Currently, Rainbow Six operates Regional Leagues in Asia, Brazil, Europe, Japan, LATAM, MENA, North America, Oceania and South Korea. It has not been announced how many teams will gain an opportunity to enter the Regional Leagues.
Rainbow Six’s other major change is its revamped in-game team revenue share programme, R6 Share. In 2025, Ubisoft will launch the R6 Share Partner Programme which will provide all partner members with two in-game bundle releases per year. The bundles will also expand into new item categories. Previously, the R6 Share system only included one release each year.
Ubisoft has opted to limit the number of member partner teams to 20. According to the developer, this adjustment has been made to help secure resources for the additional releases. The company also teased further collaboration with the member teams to “offer fans more opportunities” to engage with the teams, both in-game and at events. The names of the partner teams will be revealed at the upcoming Montreal Major in November.
To support other teams in the Rainbow Six ecosystem, R6 Share will also have an Affiliate Programme. The programme will offer financial support to help teams outside of the partner programme operate. The amount will be provided through a revenue-sharing pool, however, the exact amount teams will be provided has not been disclosed.
The final addition is the launch of the LAN May Kickoff Event. The new event, which has replaced the May Majors, will bring together significant teams in Rainbow Six Esports prior to the Regional Leagues. Details surrounding the format have yet to be revealed.
The full calendar schedule for Rainbow Six Siege’s 2025 season includes:
March – April, 2025: Rainbow Six Challenger Series
May: LAN May Kickoff Event
June – July: Regional Leagues Stage 1
September – October: Regional Leagues Stage 2
November: Rainbow Six Major
December: Regional League Finals
December – January, 2026: Six Invitational Last Chance Qualifiers
February, 2026: Six Invitational 2026
