Rainbow Six Siege experienced a huge amount of updates and changes since its launch in 2015. Find out which operators are currently on top of this multiplayer game in 2023 to maximize your winning chances.
Rainbow Six Siege is approaching the end of its eighth year, accumulating a big stack of operators with different skill sets and crucial nuances. Creating a well-balanced 5-man roster can be challenging, especially for newcomers, given the diverse abilities each operator possesses.
To help you in the process of selecting the best operators in the current meta and increasing the chances of winning your next Ranked match, we have ranked all the Siege operators introduced so far based on their strengths and weaknesses.
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How many Siege Operators are there in 2023?
In the current season (i.e. Y8S3) of Rainbow Six Siege there are a total of 69 operators that you can use unlock and play with. This excludes Recruit as he is just leagues above others. This pool of operators is split into 35 Attackers and 34 Defenders as of now. As a Siege player, you need to form an effective team, generally composed of fraggers, supports, roamers/flank-watch, and anchors.
R6S Meta in Y8S3
Rainbow Six Siege in 2023 is a very different game than even in 2022. Ubisoft keeps introducing new operators and making balancing changes often to keep the gameplay fun and balanced.
The current meta in Y8S3 personally might be one of my favorites, as there isn’t any hard and fast rule for you to play by now. For example, during the heavy-utility meta, defenders had a bunch of bulletproof gadgets, and getting rid of them took so much time.
However, now you can play in many ways and achieve great success. If you wish to play quick and aggressive, you can do that. Want to play meticulously? There are great options for that path as well.
Ranking
Here’s what I am following for my current operator ranking system: the S-Tier comprises the top-tier operators in Siege. These are operators you can select blindly, as they have the best combination of weapons and utility that you can’t go wrong with. The A-Tier consists of strong operators crucial for building a team that can increase your chances of winning rounds. The B-Tier includes versatile/flex picks that offer solid utility or firepower. Operators in the C-Tier are highly situational and may not be viable on most maps or bomb sites. You may label them as the “wildcard” operators. While the D-Tier encompasses operators rarely needed for round victories, it is advisable to steer clear of them.
Note: Like most other operator tier lists, this one is very subjective and will vary from person to person. The rankings will also change with future balancing changes, so I will be updating it as new seasons get released.
Best Attackers Tier List
- S-Tier: Finka, Ace, Sledge, Thatcher
- A-Tier: Dokkaebi, Hibana, Thermite, Iana, Buck, Ram, Ying, Osa, Gridlock, Nomad
- B-Tier: Ash, Jackal, Capitao, Flores, Maverick, Twitch, Nokk, Fuze, Zero, Lion, Brava
- C-Tier: Montagne, Kali, Glaz, Amaru, Blitz, Grim, IQ, Zofia
- D-Tier: Blackbeard, Sens
S-Tier
I have put Finka, Ace, Sledge, and Dokkaebi in the S-Tier, as I consider them to be the strongest operators on Attack at the time of writing this. Finka is one of the best picks for entry-fragging right now. The adrenal surge also provides a health buff and she can even revive teammates from the DBNO (down but not out) state. In addition, Finka is one of the few operators who still have frag Grenades, and pair that with a good weapon loadout and you have one of the best operators to get some kills.
Ace is also in the S-Tier as I think he is currently the hard breacher which you should pick more often. Ace has the ability to open medium-sized holes quickly and from a safe distance, reducing the risk of dying early without the wall being breached. But, Ace’s AK-12 gun is what makes him the better pick, as you have a gun with great damage, fire rate, and magazine size. For some, the recoil might be a little too much, but with enough practice, the AK-12 can shred the defender lineup.
Sledge continues his reign as an S-Tier operator. Soft-breach destruction is required in almost all maps, so Sledge is one of the best picks for that. He has also a solid weapon loadout and also has frag grenades, which are the best secondary gadgets on Attack.
Thatcher, the other SAS attacker is also in the highest tier because of how useful and easy his EMP grenades are to use. Hard-breaching walls and hatches is a crucial step to win an Attacking round. When Thatcher is unbanned he just makes it very easy to complete this step. Secondary impact emp grenades do provide a good alternative when Thatcher is banned, but his primary gadget and weapons make him an S-Tier operator.
A-Tier
Dokkaebi used to sit in the low tiers of my ranking but with the recent buffs, she became an A-Tier operator. You can get use of Dokkaebi’s gadget in every round to flush out roamers or distract them. She is now a 3-speed operator and has weapons to cover both long-range and short-range gunfights, and as a bonus, Dokkaebi has impact EMP grenades.
The “Hard-breacher” duo of Hibana and Thermite are in A-Tier. Both of them bring really important primary gadgets; however, their guns are what hold them slightly behind Ace. But there are some bomb sites where it might be beneficial to choose one hard breacher over another. For example, in Clubhouse basement, it is vital that Attackers open the hatches, so Hibana with her X-Kairo pellets is a better choice here.
Moving onto the “Soft-breachers”, I have put Buck and Ram in the A-Tier. Both can break the soft flooring safely and at a faster rate than Sledge, but his frag grenades gave him the edge over these two. But like the hard-breaching choice, there are many bombsites where Buck and Ram is a more effective pick over Sledge. Ram can cover large areas quickly like in the Consulate piano room. On the other hand, Buck has the option for a secondary Hard-breach charge, giving him more flexibility.
Both the flank-watchers of Nomad and Gridlock are A-Tier operators. Nomad has been consistently picked over the past seasons for her Airjabs. While the Airjabs can be countered with Solis or impacts, it still is a great option to cover your flanks. Gridlock has climbed up the ranks, as she was recently given frag grenades. So Gridlock can now get kills with frag grenades or clear utility, block areas with her trap, and has a good weapon loadout, making her a very good pick.
Iana, who was an S-Tier operator has dropped down a notch, as she recently lost her Frag grenades. But her weapons and holographic drone still make her a top pick for entry-fragging.
Ying and Osa are two operators who can be really helpful when trying to go for plants. Osa can bring impact EMPs while Ying can bring secondary Hard-Breach charge, so you can even breach walls with this duo. Both have decent weapons with large magazine sizes.
B-Tier
Ash still remains a solid choice, but she is not the best entry-fragger in the game right now. The heavy-utility meta is gone, so the breaching rounds are not essential to clear the map like before. Flores is also in a similar position as his gadget is quite good at clearing bulletproof gadgets or certain power positions. But, his overall loadout seems one step down than the A-Tier operators.
There are a lot of other operators who I have put in the B-Tier as all of them are quite good and you should pick from this lot as your flex operator. Operators like Lion and Jackal are very effective in clearing roamers, Brava and Twitch can safely destroy/hack defender gadgets from a distance like Kapkan traps or Maestro Evil Eyes.
Capitao, Maverick, and Fuze also belong in this Tier, as their gadgets are really powerful when playing in a very coordinated team. These 3 operators also have a balanced loadout, making them easy choices when you need them.
C-Tier
As I stated earlier, most of the operators in the C-Tier are highly situational. Montagne, Amaru, Blitz, Glaz, and Kali are extremely dependent on a particular strategy. These operators can win you a round on their own if used properly in a coordinated team, but without a proper team, it can be very tough to get the most out of them. Zofia and IQ have been put in this tier, as their primary gadget is not as useful in the current meta as before.
D-Tier
Blackbeard and Sens are the worst attacking operators in the game right now I believe. Blackbeard’s headshield does almost nothing and his loadout is very weak. On the other side, Sens has a better gadget than Blackbeard, but Sens also lacks in the firepower department.
Best Defenders Tier List
- S-Tier: Azami, Solis, Lesion, Fenrir
- A-Tier: Mira, Wamai, Kaid, Mute, Mozzie, Jager, Smoke, Bandit, Kapkan, Goyo, Warden, Valkyrie, Echo
- B-Tier: Vigil, Frost, Castle, Maestro, Aruni, Pulse, Melusi, Thorn
- C-Tier: Tachanka, Alibi, Clash, Caveira, Doc, Thunderbird
- D-Tier: Rook, Ela, Oryx
S-Tier
The three newest additions of Azami, Solis, and Fenrir are all S-Tier operators in my defender tier list. Azami can create bulletproof barriers anywhere on the map, which is one of the strongest primary gadgets on defense if not the strongest. Solis and her unique electronic gadget scanner make her one of the best roamers in the current meta. She can flank enemies and even stop the plant from below with her scanner. Fenrir, on the other hand, is the latest trap operator to be introduced to Siege. His traps can slow down attackers and also notify you of their position. All three of these operators also have a versatile loadout.
Lesion has recently received several buffs, which have raised him to the S-Tier. The gu-mines were already a strong trap gadget, and now its initial damage is back (with the ability to stack them to deal greater damage). He also received the super-shorty as a secondary weapon, making him a versatile pick on all maps.
A-Tier
Valkyrie still is a very strong operator, but I dropped her from S-Tier as there are other stronger defenders in this current meta. Smoke has also been demoted to A-Tier because the game keeps evolving and now there are more ways to deny a plant, and his loadout, although strong, is not something everyone can use easily.
There are so many good defenders in Siege right now, and a lot of them are A-Tier operators. The duo of projectile catchers Jager and Wamai, the wall-electrifying operators: Bandit and Kaid, the intel-denial defenders: Mute and Mozzie, and more. All these defenders have either recently received a buff or were already powerful operators to be in the A-Tier.
Alongside their valuable utility, all these operators have really good weapons, some with even the 1.5x scope like Goyo and Warden. So picking from this A-Tier should generally increase the core strength of your team.
B-Tier
How about the flex picks? There are defenders you can pick based on certain bomb sites, so operators like Echo, Maestro, and Pulse fall in this tier. Most of these operators have average weapons, but if their gadgets are used effectively you can win a round on your own. So just because I labeled them as B-Tier doesn’t mean they should not be picked.
For example, playing in a bombsite where the floor is breakable, Pulse could be a wise choice, as a last-minute C4 can prevent the defuser from being planted, thus winning you the round.
C-Tier
Heading down to C-Tier, I have listed 6 operators here. Clash, Tachanka, Caveira, Alibi, Doc and Oryx. The C-Tier should be your last option to pick from, as these are the wildcard operators, you can pick once in a while. When the default plans are not working out, you can pull off something imaginative like an interrogation with Cav or trouble the attackers with a Clash.
D-Tier
I have put only Ela, Alibi, and Oryx in the D-Tier, as I believe they offer the least utility to the team in their current state. Many players still decide to pick Alibi or Oryx for their fast fire-rate gun, but that is all they bring to the table. This is why I would choose to pick other operators higher in the tier, as there are so many of them now.
NOTE: I want to reiterate that this tier list is highly subjective, and in a match Rainbow Six Siege, players will be able to get kills and win rounds with any selected Operator.
How to unlock Operators in R6?
Players can unlock new operators using renown (in-game currency), which can be earned easily by playing matches and completing weekly challenges. However, there’s also an option to purchase these operators using R6 Credits that can be bought with micropayments.
However, if you don’t want to spend any real money, then grinding the game is the best option, and it also provides a much more satisfying experience as you keep on unlocking and learning operators one by one.
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