Ubisoft has reportedly given the green light to a new Rainbow Six: Vegas game, almost two decades after the series last appeared. Insider Gaming reports that the project, codenamed Spades, is in early development at Ubisoft Montreal. Ubisoft hasn’t announced anything, so treat it as a report rather than a confirmed game.
What Insider Gaming reports
Tom Henderson, Insider Gaming’s co-founder and editor-in-chief, says Spades is one of three projects recently spun up at Ubisoft Montreal. He has no details on the other two, though his sources suggest one of them is another game in the wider Rainbow Six universe. The Vegas project is the one with a name attached, and it’s the one that matters most to fans, because the series hasn’t had a new entry for 18 years.
The report doesn’t say what Spades will actually be. Henderson’s sources describe a new numbered game as the likelier outcome, so Vegas 3 rather than a remake, but he adds that only time will tell. That caution fits the stage: games take far longer to build now than they did in the 2000s, and Henderson expects it to be several years before Ubisoft announces a new Vegas title. There’s no platform list, release window or pricing in the report, which means nothing is available to pre-order or plan around anywhere, the UAE included.
Why Vegas, and why now
The original game arrived in 2006, and Wikipedia’s entry lists Vegas 2 as following in 2008 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Insider Gaming says Ubisoft has worked on over a dozen Rainbow Six projects since, but none carried the Vegas name. Much of that period belongs to Rainbow Six Siege, which GameRant notes is already in its 11th year of content. A return to the single-player-led Vegas style would be a clear change of direction for the franchise.
The timing lines up with Ubisoft’s restructuring. Insider Gaming points out that the move comes a year after Ubisoft formed Vantage Studios, a subsidiary that oversees Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. Engadget reported at launch that Vantage is the first of Ubisoft’s “creative houses”. Game Developer reports that Ubisoft confirmed Tencent’s €1.16 billion investment had completed, giving Tencent a 26.32 percent economic interest in Vantage. Insider Gaming ties the new Montreal projects to that structure, though it doesn’t say Tencent had any role in greenlighting Spades.
The report also arrives alongside other Ubisoft rumours. Insider Gaming says it could corroborate separate claims from last week that two new Assassin’s Creed games are in development, which suggests Vantage’s pipeline is filling up. Ubisoft hasn’t commented on any of them.
Older console-era games are getting fresh attention elsewhere, as with our coverage of the Metal Gear Solid 4 port, but Spades is only at the start of its development. We’d expect any official word to be a long way off, and we’ll update this story if Ubisoft says anything.
Has Ubisoft confirmed a new Rainbow Six: Vegas game?
No. The information comes from Insider Gaming’s sources, and Ubisoft hasn’t announced, named or commented on the project.
Will it be Rainbow Six: Vegas 3 or a remake?
Insider Gaming’s sources say it’s likely Vegas 3 rather than a remake, but the outlet stresses that this isn’t settled. Ubisoft hasn’t given a title, platforms or release window.
What is Vantage Studios?
It’s the Ubisoft subsidiary that oversees Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. Game Developer reports that Tencent holds a 26.32 percent economic interest in it.
