The legendary stealth infiltrator, Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series, is joining Rainbow Six Siege as a permanent, playable Operator when Operation Silent Hunt launches on March 3. Armed with the Soliton Radar MKIII gadget and his On-Site Procurement ability, Solid Snake excels at tracking down Defender positions and scavenging supplies on the battlefield to adapt to any situation. The Metal Gear Solid collaboration extends to more than just the new Operator, however, as the Operation Silent Hunt Battle Pass not only instantly unlocks Solid Snake at the start of the season, but also contains Metal Gear Solid cosmetics (including a Psycho Mantis outfit for Smoke). Later in the season, the limited-time [REDACTED] event will introduce a new gameplay mode, more Metal Gear Solid outfits, and a team-up between Solid Snake and another stealth legend: Zero, aka Sam Fisher.
Solid Snake’s Unique Gadget – the Soliton Radar MKIII – Explained
The Soliton Radar MKIII is a handheld device that allows Solid Snake to see the floorplan of his immediate surroundings and to detect enemies present in the area. The radar only covers the floor Snake is currently on as well as any connected staircases, and the green lines delineating the level layout convey helpful information. Any wall displayed as a dotted line, or floor displayed with a striped background, are soft, meaning you could use them to your advantage, if your foes don’t beat you to it. If you’ve been wanting a mini-map to help you get the lay of the land in Siege, the Soliton Radar MKIII may give you an edge.
The radar will also light up in one of three colors depending on what threats it can detect in the area. Green means “All Clear,” though be wary as there are several ways that your enemies can deceive your radar – more on that shortly. Yellow means that there is an active CCTV camera in the area being watched by an enemy; these default cams show up as small yellow rectangles on your radar. Finally, there’s a red readout – “Alert” – which tells you the radar has detected one or more enemies active in the area you’re scanning. Time to get serious.
Solid Snake can get the most out of his Soliton Radar MKIII by switching into precision mode. When precision mode is active, the radar will display position icon and vision cone of any enemies it detects, giving Solid Snake real-time intel on exactly where his enemies are and where they are looking. This is some of the most valuable intel you can have in Rainbow Six Siege, and can be used for anything from solo infiltration to coordinated team maneuvers. It has a limited number of precision mode charges and there is a cooldown timer between uses, but the Soliton Radar MKIII makes Solid Snake a new intel-gathering, enemy-detecting force to be reckoned with.
How to Defend Against Solid Snake’s Soliton Radar MKIII
Defenders are notified when they are detected by Solid Snake’s radar, giving them a chance to reposition or, if they are feeling bold, counterattack. After all, an enemy who is looking at their gadget is an enemy who does not have their weapon at the ready. Deception is another option, and perhaps the safer one. Alibi’s Prisma holograms deceive Solid Snake’s radar, appearing as normal Operators, so as long as Alibi doesn’t move and give away her position, she can keep Solid Snake guessing as to which detected Operator is real. Vigil’s Electronic Rendering Cloak also allows him to hide from Solid Snake’s radar, and Mute’s electronic jammers disrupt the radar as well, keeping any Operator in their radius safe from detection. Solid Snake players take note here: these are several ways an Operator can be hiding in a room your gadget marks as “All Clear.”
Furthermore, Solid Snake’s radar only detects default cameras; this means any defending Operator who brings a camera gadget into the match can be watching a room unbeknownst to Snake. Whether it’s a unique gadget, like Valkyrie, Maestro, Echo, Mozzie, or Skopós, or a bulletproof camera, Solid Snake will be unaware of this surveillance if he relies on his radar alone.
How Does Solid Snake’s On-Site Procurement Ability Work?
In the spirit of his battlefield adaptability in the Metal Gear Solid series, Solid Snake brings a unique skill into Rainbow Six Siege: On-Site Procurement (OSP). Unlike other Operators, Snake can have up to five different secondary gadgets at one time: frag grenades, stun grenades, smoke grenades, impact EMPs, and breach charges. However, while other Operators begin the match with a few of their gadget of choice, Snake begins with only one item in one of his five gadget slots.
To increase or replenish his gadget inventory, Snake will need to scavenge. When he is in a round, every eliminated Operator drops a utility pouch (unless they are team-killed). Snake can then use his “switch ability” key or button to select an empty slot in his gadget loadout; he can have a max of one gadget in each of his five categories. Then, he can interact with the utility pouch or simply run over it to pick up the selected item. This not only gives him a way to gain more utility power as the round progresses, but also allows him to adapt to the conditions he encounters in battle. Discovered an unexpected laser grid from a defending Denari? Loot an impact EMP and take the grid offline. Used your frag grenade to root out a roamer? Replenish your stock from the eliminated roamer’s utility pouch. Solid Snake’s OSP makes him a versatile foe, one you’ll constantly need to keep an eye on.
What Weapons Are In Solid Snake’s Loadout?
Solid Snake has the choice of two primary weapons: the powerful PMR90A2 designated marksman rifle or the feisty F2 assault rifle. Known for its robust recoil, the F2 is receiving a buff in Operation Silent Hunt; players will now be able to equip grip attachments to it, including the horizontal grip, the angled grip, and the vertical-recoil-reducing vertical grip. Snake will also bring a brand new secondary weapon to Rainbow Six Siege, one that is inspired by the stealthy sidearms of his Metal Gear Solid missions. The TACIT .45 pistol has an integrated suppressor and reflex sight, allowing Snake to silently remove enemy utility (and enemies themselves).
The Metal Gear Solid-themed [REDACTED] Event
Debuting a few weeks after the launch of Operation Silent Hunt, the limited-time [REDACTED] event will see Solid Snake teaming up with Zero (aka Sam Fisher) in a new 4v4 infiltration-themed gameplay mode set on a modified version of Nighthaven Labs inspired by an iconic location in the Metal Gear Solid series. The event collection will feature more cosmetic outfits that style Rainbow Six Siege Operators as iconic characters from the Metal Gear Solid series, including Jackal as Gray Fox and Ash as Meryl.
Operation Silent Hunt Updates and Balancing Changes
When Operation Silent Hunt launches on March 3, it be modernizing three maps: Villa, Coastline, and Oregon. Furthermore, this season will mark the final season for the 6v6 mode, Dual Front; log in to play the new Metal Gear Solid-inspired assignment and get the chance to unlock Dual Front-exclusive cosmetic items before your window of opportunity closes. There will also be a host of Operator Balancing updates themed around entry and roaming:
- Skopós is accelerating to a 3-speed, with faster shell transitions and less cooldown time; plus, her shells will now have the soft destruction power of the Aruni punch.
- Ela’s Grzmot mines will now concuss victims for longer.
- Amaru will gain an extra charge for her Garra Hook.
- Alibi’s Prisma decoys will now ping an extra time and the final ping will linger longer.
- Observation Blockers will deploy more speedily.
- Flores can equip the T-95 LSW LMG.
- Shield users will no longer be able to bash through full-health barricades (with the exception of Blackbeard’s breaching ability).
For the full Operation Silent Hunt breakdown and more information about player protection updates, the new seasonal cadence, and the upcoming 1v1 arcade mode event, visit the official Rainbow Six Siege website.
Rainbow Six Siege is available in Free Access on Ubisoft+, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via the Ubisoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.
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