Preparing for 2023

September 29, 2022

With Stage 3 running its course, we are heading steadily towards the final stretch of Season 2022.

We shared this summer that we were working on our plans for Rainbow Six Esports next year, which understandably sparked discussions and questions from members of the ecosystem and the community at large.

for season 2023, we have decided to revisit the competitive structure of the rainbow six esports ecosystem.

Changing an ecosystem is not an easy endeavor, nor should it be done without assessing all implications for the ecosystem and its stakeholders. This is why we dedicated this past year, alongside running Season 2022, to look back on the programs that we have run since the launch of the regionalized ecosystem, in order to extract valuable insights into what was working well, and what needed improvements or redesign. We also laid down the core principles that were - and remain - critical for us to deliver on our vision as we continue to shape Rainbow Six Esports. Based on that, we left no stone unturned. We looked at the ecosystem in its entirety, discussed with our partners and participating organizations, and went back to the drawing table to design what the next chapter of Rainbow Six Esports would look like.

We will reveal this new program early December.

season 2022 path to pro update

While it is too early for us to share more details on Season 2023 just yet, we wanted to address the concerns that were raised about our path to pro.

We design our programs in a way that provides opportunities for players to compete at different levels, from local community tournaments to international events. As part of this vision, one of our core principles is to ensure that up-and-coming talents and amateur teams can hone their skills and reach the highest level of competitive play in Rainbow Six Siege. This is critical for the long-term health and competitiveness of the scene. The idea of a path to pro has been taking on many shapes and forms within the industry, and we took the decision to redesign ours alongside the rest of the program, in order to create more opportunities for amateur teams to compete against pros. Starting in 2023, our focus will shift from the mechanic of promotion/relegation matches as a gateway to regional leagues, towards creating more opportunities for teams to participate in international events. As such, and in line with recent announcements in LATAM, there will be no promotion/relegation matches between Season 2022 and Season 2023. Instead, teams that would have been eligible for promotions, or promotion matches, across EU, NA, LATAM and APAC*, will see their performance rewarded by a substantial advantage in the qualification path leading to our international events next year.

More details will be shared in a future update.

*These teams would include the winner and runner-up of the European Challenger League, winner of the NA Challenger League, winner of the B Divisions in LATAM, winners and runners-up of the Japan League, Korean Open, Oceanic nationals, South Asia nationals and Southeast Asia championship.

november 2022 transfer window update

To cater to the structural changes coming to the ecosystem in 2023 and to ensure all members of the scene have prior visibility on what's to come before entering contract negotiations or making business decisions, we are moving the Mid-season Transfer Window 3, initially planned to take place between November 21st and December 4th. This Transfer Window will now take place from December 10th to January 5th.

Exceptionally, to prepare for the transition into Season 2023, this Transfer Window is being extended to a total of 27 days and will allow 2 types of transfers:

  • Regular Transfers:

As per the rules of the Global Rulebook, teams are allowed to register up to 2 new players and a coach for the remaining of the 2022 season, encompassing Six Invitational qualifiers and the Six Invitational 2023.

  • Transfers to build a Season 2023 roster:

In preparation of the 2023 Season, teams will have the opportunity to pre-register up to 7 players (and a coach) that will be officially registered as part of the team after the Six Invitational 2023, during the 2023 off-season Transfer Window. Details and process for this pre-registration will be shared with organizations and players ahead of the Mid-season Transfer Window 3 in December 2022.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work on shaping Season 2023. We look forward to revealing our plans for the future of Rainbow Six Esports in December. In the meantime, Season 2022 is still in full swing, so let's get ready for the upcoming Six Major and for an epic Six Invitational.


The Rainbow Six Esports Team