Look, let's be honest, tactical shooters don't get much more iconic than Rainbow Six. Now, the franchise is diving into turn-based tactics for the very first time. Meet Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tactics, a game about stepping into the boots of a field commander and pushing through some properly punishing missions. It also happens to be the first single-player outing we have seen in quite a while, following the all-online Rainbow Six Siege.

Ubisoft dropped the news on August 26 during Gamescom Opening Night Live, officially unveiling Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tactics. As a single-player turn-based tactical affair, you take on the role of 'Six', leading the Rainbow team from high-level strategy down to messy ground-level execution. Along the way, you get to experience the core DNA of tactical shooting while rubbing shoulders with a roster of familiar operators from across the series.

The developers explain that this whole project started from a rather intriguing dilemma: they wanted something that would resonate with both the old guard who stuck around since the Vegas days and the newer crowd who poured in through Siege. Rainbow Six has always been built on a bedrock of tactical shooting, and the team reckoned there was plenty of untapped depth to explore. That sparked the idea of crafting the very first turn-based tactics game set in the Rainbow Six universe. They reckon this hits the sweet spot of respecting the roots while offering a genuinely cheeky twist.

The timeline hooks right into Rainbow Six Siege, specifically bridging Year 10 and Year 11, as the squad deals with a fresh global threat requiring massive operations. This marks the first time since the Vegas games we are getting a cinematic single-player campaign, expanding the sprawling universe of Rainbow Six Siege further. You will get a good look at the personal stories of the operators, the pressure they are under, and the tough calls they have to make, alongside a handful of fresh faces.

In this story, you are calling the shots as the commander. To be precise, you step into the shoes of Bishop, the protagonist from Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, guiding the unit from that exact perspective. You will be sitting back at Rainbow headquarters analysing intel, slotting operators into position, and plotting the direction of each mission before anyone boots down a door.

The roster features 15 hand-picked operators chosen to represent Rainbow Six Siege. They were selected based on fan favourites and how well their kits translate to turn-based tactics, retaining their signature gear and unique skill trees from Siege. You pick four of them to form your squad. With dozens of maps spanning the globe featuring hostage rescues, bomb defusals, and VIP captures, you will need to tweak your squad composition to match your preferred playstyle and the situation at hand.

When you actually hit the operational zone, turn-based combat forces you to weigh up operator abilities, reconnaissance tools, gadgets, and destructible environment elements if you want to put down the enemy. During the recon phase, you roll out drones to clear the Fog of War, sniffing out enemy positions, traps, and supply crates. You can blast through walls to open up sightlines, clear out cover, and carve out brand-new entry routes. Sorting out unit placement, vision control, cover, and perimeter watching forms the absolute core of planning a successful op.

Easily the most distinctive feature of the combat is 'Breach', a mechanic pulled straight from the wider Rainbow Six lineage and Siege. After finishing your drone recon, you set up one or multiple entry points, assign gadgets and targets to specific operators, and draw up a simultaneous assault plan. Once you give the 'Execute' order, the turn-based shackles come off, and all operators kick off an explosive, real-time synchronized rush.

Aside from planning and executing ops, you also have to manage the home front and the operators themselves. Between missions, you are looking after operator health, tinkering with loadouts, and upgrading skill trees. You can unlock new traits to really nail down your preferred playstyle, all while balancing team buffs, calling in reinforcements, and gathering intel. In short, you are pulling double duty as both tactical commander and stressed-out manager.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tactics is being built by Ubisoft Paris. The team is led by veterans from Ghost Recon and Mario + Rabbids, alongside plenty of folks who worked on Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and Just Dance. Dozens of maps covering urban areas, farms, and warehouses have been meticulously hand-crafted, meaning there is zero procedural generation here outside of random variables like enemy locations, bombs, or hostages. The developers stress they put immense care into giving every single map a distinct identity and tactical flavour.

Meanwhile, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tactics is scheduled to land in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It is billed as a strictly 100% single-player game, with no in-game storefront or microtransactions in sight.