Is R6 Losing Popularity in 2024?
As an avid R6 Siege player since the very beginning, I‘ve loved watching the game grow from a niche tactical shooter to having over 65,000 concurrent players daily. But I can‘t ignore the data…Rainbow Six Siege has undoubtedly declined from its peak hype.
Does this mean the glory days are over? Is one of my all-time favorite competitive shooters fading into obscurity? After diving deep into the numbers and industry trends, here‘s the real scoop on R6‘s popularity in 2024.
Quick Take: Well Past the Peak But Still Going Strong
While R6 will likely never recapture its 2018-2021 mainstream mania, the active and loyal fanbase remains pretty steady. R6 hit a perfect storm of factors that made it a viral sensation – but now we‘ve settled back down to the "core" community that adores Siege for its tense, cerebral gunplay.
Rainbow Six Siege may slowly bleed players each year, but it should have at least 3-5 years left if Ubisoft continues supporting it. That said, it needs an influx of new players to offset veterans moving on – the steep learning curve doesn‘t help newcomer retention.
Player Count Dropped Over 70% From 200k+ Peak
Let‘s analyze the player data year-over-year:
| Date | Peak Players | Change |
|---|---|---|
| March 2021 | 199,000 | Peak |
| Feb 2022 | 152,000 | -23.6% |
| Feb 2023 | 65,000 | -57.2% |
As you can see, Siege rapidly lost over 70% of its peak playerbase across 2021 and 2022. From my experience, most veterans stuck around – but the mainstream casual audience left almost entirely.
Context: Other Mature Shooters Struggling More
While a 70% decline seems dire, R6 is performing well compared to competitors. The February 2023 Steam charts show Rainbow Six above established series like Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike:
| Rainbow Six Siege | 65,000 players |
| Battlefield 2024 | 15,000 players |
| Call of Duty: MWII | 52,000 players |
| Counter-Strike: GO | 48,000 players |
Triple-A titles like CoD and Battlefield bleed way more players year-over-year. Siege is resilient thanks to the tightly knit community.
Why the Decline From 200k Players?
Based on my conversations with veterans leaving Siege, a few key reasons emerge:
- Increased competition from Valorant, Overwatch 2 etc.
- The extremely steep learning curve for new players
- Stale "meta" gameplay at high levels
- Toxic community scaring off novices
Siege‘s complexity is a double-edged sword. Veterans love the depth…newcomers are overwhelmed. Definitely room for Ubisoft to improve here.
Ubisoft Isn‘t Giving Up: Y7S1 Arrives
Even with the decline, Ubisoft reiterated its plans to keep updating Siege. The new Year 7 Season 1 update arrives soon, bringing a new map, operator Azami, and permanent Team Deathmatch mode.
As long as this support continues, it should sustain the existing playerbase. These updates keep things fresh for Siege vets hungry for new strategies to master.
Forecasting Siege‘s Future: 3+ Years Left
Based on these trends, industry observer reports predict Rainbow Six Siege has at least 3-5 years left in the tank. However, retaining new players is critical to truly stopping the bleeding.
Siege will likely never reclaim six-figure concurrents – but it doesn‘t need to. The current core fanbase can sustain the game assuming Ubisoft incentivizes them to stick around.
The Takeaway: A Loyal Community Remains
To me, Siege in 2024 reminds me of late-stage Counter-Strike 1.6 community vibes. The playerbase isn‘t massive but the fans who remain are battle-tested veterans who LOVE the game.
As long as Ubisoft caters content to this crowd rather than chasing mainstream appeal, Rainbow Six Siege should avoid collapse. The tactical tension and cerebral gunplay still offers an experience you can‘t find anywhere else.
Sure, catching lightening in a bottle twice is unlikely. But this is one of the most skilled, welcoming gaming communities I‘ve ever been a part of. As long as that holds true, Rainbow Six won‘t fade away completely for a LONG time yet.
