Is Rainbow Six Siege free? Free Access vs Ranked explained

At a glance

Free to playYesPC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One RankedPaidElite or Ultimate Edition + level 50

UnrankedFreeUnlocks at Clearance Level 20

Elite Edition$19.99Ranked, Siege Cup, 16 operators Ultimate Edition$39.99Ranked, Siege Cup, 54 operators

Free sinceJun 10, 2025Siege X launch

Key facts

Game: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Free version: Free Access (permanent, per Ubisoft)
Free modes: Quick Match, Unranked, onboarding and events
Paid editions: Elite Edition $19.99, Ultimate Edition $39.99 (Steam, PlayStation Store, Ubisoft Store, US prices)
Ranked requirements: Elite or Ultimate Edition, Clearance Level 50, 10 Attackers and 10 Defenders unlocked, 2-Step verification
Platforms: PC (Steam, Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games Store), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Source: Ubisoft's Siege FAQ and support pages; Steam, PlayStation Store and Xbox store listings, checked November 2, 2026

The line that matters is in Ubisoft's own FAQ: new players get Quick Play and Unranked for free "but need to buy a Premium edition" to play Ranked. Even the free modes are gated by level: Quick Match opens at Clearance Level 3 and Unranked at 20.

Is Rainbow Six Siege free to play?

Yes, Rainbow Six Siege is free to download and play on every platform it's on. Ubisoft switched it to Free Access with the Siege X update on June 10, 2025, and its Discover page now calls it "permanent free access to Siege".

On PC you can grab the free version on Steam, Ubisoft Connect or the Epic Games Store; on console it's a free download from the PlayStation Store and the Xbox store. Steam lists it as free to play with in-app purchases, and its store description puts the deal in one line: access is free, but competitive modes, operators and cosmetics cost money.

What does Free Access include?

Free Access gets you the base game, Quick Match and Unranked, plus a starting selection of operators. The Free Access graphic on Ubisoft's Steam page lists four mode groups: Quick Match, Unranked 5v5, Onboarding (the tutorials and training drills) and Events, the limited-time modes Ubisoft runs each season. So yes, you can play Unranked on free Siege, just not straight out of the tutorial.

Ubisoft's Free Access graphic for Rainbow Six Siege listing a selection of operators and four available modes: Quick Match, Unranked 5v5, Onboarding and Events — Image: Ubisoft (Steam store page)

On operators, Ubisoft's Siege X reveal said Free Access players start with 10 and can grow that to 26 through in-game progression. Current store listings only say "a starting selection of Operators", and Ubisoft hasn't published a newer count. Beyond that, Ubisoft's support page says operators can be bought in the in-game shop with Renown, which you earn by playing, or with R6 Credits, which cost real money (600 credits are $4.99 on the PlayStation Store). Prices vary by operator: in Operation Split Fire, Ubisoft cut Ram to 10,000 Renown or 240 R6 Credits and Denari to 20,000 Renown or 480 Credits. Year 11 Season 2 also added rotating trial operators: Ubisoft's patch notes said six (three Attackers, three Defenders) would be free to use for a week at a time in every main playlist, Ranked and Siege Cup included, before the next set rotated in. Ubisoft's Season 3 notes don't mention the rotation, so we can't confirm it's still running.

The Battle Pass didn't change with Free Access: Ubisoft's FAQ says all players can access its free and premium tier rewards, the same as before.

Is Ranked free in Rainbow Six Siege?

Own the Elite or Ultimate Edition
Have an active internet connection
Reach Clearance Level 50
Have at least 10 Attacker and 10 Defender operators unlocked
Turn on 2-Step verification for your Ubisoft account
On PC, add a phone number to your Ubisoft account
On console, link your Ubisoft account and have an active online console subscription

Ubisoft's Elite Edition graphic for Rainbow Six Siege showing Quick Match and Unranked, rank badges and the Siege Cup trophy under Competitive Modes, and a group of operators labelled 16 operators from Year 1 and Year 2 — Image: Ubisoft (Steam store page)

Buying an edition doesn't skip the grind: the small print on Ubisoft's Elite Edition art says Ranked and Siege Cup unlock at level 50. Two cheaper routes exist. PC Game Pass includes the Elite Edition, Ranked access included, per Ubisoft's Game Pass support page, and a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription ($17.99 a month on Ubisoft's site) comes with the same content as the Ultimate Edition, per Ubisoft's editions article.

If you bought Siege before June 10, 2025, you don't pay again. Ubisoft's FAQ says those players keep access to every existing mode, Ranked included, along with their operators, inventory and progression.

Once you're in, Ranked 3.0 has 40 ranks and resets every season, with five placement matches at the start of each one.

Free Access vs Elite vs Ultimate: what do you pay for?

The paid editions add Ranked, Siege Cup and operators; nothing in Quick Match or Unranked is locked to them. Here's the split, from Ubisoft's FAQ and the Steam, PlayStation Store and Ubisoft Store listings:

	Free Access	Elite Edition	Ultimate Edition
Price (US)	Free	$19.99	$39.99
Quick Match and Unranked	Yes	Yes	Yes
Onboarding and events	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ranked and Siege Cup	No	Yes, from level 50	Yes, from level 50
Operators	Starting selection, more via Renown or R6 Credits	Starting selection + 16 from Years 1 and 2	Starting selection + 54 from Years 1 to 10
Cosmetics included	None	None	Disruptor Pack (sets for Nøkk, Warden, Frost and Maverick)
Cross-progression	Yes	Yes	Yes

Ubisoft's Ultimate Edition graphic for Rainbow Six Siege: Quick Match and Unranked, 54 operators from Year 1 to Year 10, four Disruptor Pack operator cosmetic sets, and Ranked plus Siege Cup — Image: Ubisoft (Steam store page)

Ubisoft's own count wobbles: its editions article and Free Access page say 52 operators for the Ultimate Edition, while Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Siege FAQ say 54 for the current Year 11 edition. If you only want Ranked, the Elite Edition is the cheapest one-off purchase. The Ultimate Edition is the better deal if you'd otherwise buy Year 3 to Year 10 operators one by one.

Is Rainbow Six Siege free on PS5 and Xbox?

The game is free on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, but online play may not be. The PlayStation Store listing for Free Access says "PS Plus required for online play", and Microsoft's Xbox store page says online multiplayer on console requires Xbox Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate. On PC there's no subscription on top: Free Access on Steam, Ubisoft Connect or Epic costs nothing.

Was Rainbow Six Siege always free?

No. Rainbow Six Siege was a paid game from its December 1, 2015 launch until Free Access began with Siege X on June 10, 2025. This is Ubisoft's launch trailer for that update:

The free package has already changed once. At launch, Free Access also included Dual Front, a 6v6 respawn mode on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's no longer part of Free Access: Ubisoft's Year 11 roadmap lists Season 1, Operation Silent Hunt, as the "Final Dual Front season", and Shacknews reported that Ubisoft announced the removal at the Six Invitational in February 2026. Ubisoft's Free Access landing page still mentions Dual Front, but Steam, the PlayStation Store and Ubisoft's editions article now list only Quick Match and Unranked.

Players who first played between Year 1 and Year 10 Season 1 also get Veteran rewards automatically on launch, per the FAQ.

Does free Siege progress carry over between platforms?

Yes. Siege has automatic cross-progression on every platform as long as you log in with the same Ubisoft account, per Ubisoft's support pages. Operators, Renown, R6 Credits, Battle Pass progress and cosmetics carry over if you earned or bought them in-game. Ubisoft's list doesn't mention editions bought from a platform store, so if Ranked is the reason you're paying, the safe move is to buy the edition on the platform where you'll play Ranked. Crossplay is always on for PC and off by default on console; turning it on puts console players into the PC Ranked pool.

Questions and answers

Is Rainbow Six Siege free now?

Yes. Since June 10, 2025, Free Access lets anyone play Quick Match and Unranked with a starting selection of operators on PC, PlayStation and Xbox at no cost.

Is Siege Free Access the full game?

No. It's the same game with Quick Match, Unranked, training and events, but Ranked, Siege Cup and most of the operator roster need the Elite or Ultimate Edition, Renown or R6 Credits.

Is R6 Ranked free on PC?

No. Siege Ranked isn't free on PC or console. On PC, it needs the Elite Edition ($19.99), the Ultimate Edition ($39.99), or PC Game Pass, which includes the Elite Edition, plus Clearance Level 50, 2-Step verification and a phone number on your Ubisoft account.

Can you play Unranked on free Siege?

Yes. Unranked is part of Free Access, but it unlocks at Clearance Level 20; Quick Match opens at level 3.

How long is Rainbow Six Siege free for?

There's no time limit. Ubisoft describes Free Access as permanent, so it isn't a free weekend or a trial.

Do I have to pay for Ranked if I bought Siege before Siege X?

No. Ubisoft says players who bought and played Siege before June 10, 2025 keep access to all existing modes, Ranked included, without paying again.

Is Rainbow Six Siege free? Yes, but Ranked needs a paid edition