Ubisoft has reportedly given a new entry in the Rainbow Six: Vegas series the green light and a codename.
Details on a long-awaited (and unexpected) return to a fan-favorite corner of the Rainbow Six universe come from an Insider Gaming report. The publisher is said to have given its Ubisoft Montreal team the go-ahead to begin work on a new Vegas installment, with two other projects reportedly also in the works there.
Rainbow Six: Vegas started with the release of the original game in 2006 before it returned for a sequel in 2008. Whether the new game will be called Rainbow Six: Vegas 3 or something else is unclear, though the site’s sources say it’s expected to be more like the former rather than something like a remake. It also stated that it’s being worked on with the apt codename, “Spades.”
That’s just one of the three games the Montreal studio is reportedly working on. The report wasn’t able to confirm much about the remaining projects but said one source suggested at least one other game is planned to take place in the Rainbow Six universe in some capacity.
The Rainbow Six franchise as a whole existed long before popular entries like Rainbow Six Siege or even the Vegas series. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six traces all the way back to the late ’90s but has splintered into a wide variety of gameplay experiences and offerings. Siege is no doubt the most well-known iteration today thanks to how Ubisoft has supported its tactical gameplay since its 2015 launch, but the most recent entry actually arrived in 2022 with Rainbow Six Extraction.
Despite nearly 20 years passing since the last Vegas game, it’s remained a beloved corner of the universe for many. IGN gave the original game a 7.6/10 when it launched for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. We then gave the sequel’s limited edition release an 8.4/10.
Ubisoft seems to be still in the early stages of its unannounced Rainbow Six: Vegas continuation, so don’t expect to see it launch for at least a few more years. While that may mean we’ll have passed the 20-year mark since the last game, we hopefully won’t have to wait quite as long to learn more about it. Until then, it’s best to keep expectations low while the publisher keeps its cards close to its chest.
Meanwhile, we do know about a few other projects Ubisoft has up its sleeve. Rainbow Six Tactics, for example, was announced in August and will launch sometime next year. A Splinter Cell remake is also in the works, even if it’s been a while since we heard from it.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).