Having now entered into its second year, Rainbow Six Siege is encountering a phase all games of its type go through. Now is the time to continue firing on all cylinders, ensuring the game remains fresh and relevant. One way developers usually deal with this is by offering something new to fans. New game modes, characters, and maps are usually in full swing when games are trying to keep players interested. Creative director Xavier Marquis doesn’t believe new game modes are best in the name of longevity. Recently, at a preview event in Montreal, Canada, he had this to say about new game modes:

It’s something that we do not want to do.”

Well, that’s a blow to fans around the globe. At least, if you were hoping for new game modes, that is. Why wouldn’t you be? It’s what we gamers have come to expect out of games that want to run for some time. However, Rainbow Six Siege is a little different. While the game is a tactical FPS, it clearly breaches MOBA(Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) territory. It’s because of this that Ubisoft may feel that new game modes won’t bring any freshness. At the preview event in Montreal, Xavier also says, “The map can be different, the operators can be different, but we need something static and that is Siege mode. Siege is the center of everything.” By the sound of it, Rainbow Six Siege is going to blossom into the beautiful MOBA it is possibly meant to be.

After the preview event in Montreal, brand director Alexandre Remy spoke with PC Gamer to elaborate on Marquis’ comments. Remy speaks of their intention at launch in 2015 and how more game modes were in the plans, but as the game progressed, they “realized there’s so much depth with operators and destruction. That has a lot to offer, so the focus is always going to be on refreshing the meta with operators and new maps.” In fact, Rainbow Six Siege‘s second year updates will look a lot like what the first year had to offer:

• Four new maps
• Eight new operators

However, Remy believes those are rookie numbers and that they need to be pumped up a bit. He goes on to say, “The moment that we hit 50 operators, that’s the minimum that we actually want.” Currently, they stand at 28 operators, plus the eight coming out this year. This, of course, also begs the question of whether they will stick to releasing eight operators a year or bump that number up. It’s at this point that Remy is asked if that many operators will dilute the uniqueness each operator presents. To which, he replies:

That was one of the questions that was asked by management here, weren’t we going to be doing the same operators over and over again?” Remy says. “But the idea is that you actually want enough operators so that each pick you have a choice. Thermite for a long time was not a choice, everyone had to pick him in a team because he was the only one who could breach into a reinforced wall. Introducing Hibana, all of a sudden the player could perform that task with a choice. At that moment every choice is tough choice for the player and not an obvious one. To come to that moment, you need a minimum of 50. When we have 50, that’ll be when the game is at its peak in terms of strategy.”

Maybe Remy, Marquis, and Ubisoft are right, though. What if just focusing on adding more operators truly does keep things fresh? Would that be such a bad thing? Sure, you’ll be playing the same maps and have the same objectives, but you would have more options in terms of how you go about completing them. Needless to say, this approach certainly makes it seem that Rainbow Six Siege is becoming more MOBA than meets the eye. Remy even drops a not-so-subtle hint at the MOBA-fication of the game. He says, “Looking at MOBAs, those games have from 80 to 100 characters and that still works.” If you want to check out the full interview, you can do so here.

What do you think of this, gamers? Do you enjoy Rainbow Six Siege as it is coming to terms with and embracing its MOBA roots? Maybe you feel that this move will push you away from the game? Let us know down in the comments section! Before you head down there, you might be interested in this. Uncharted 4‘s hardcore survival mode is live and it is wonderful! For more delightful news, be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter so you don’t miss out on what is to come!