Ubisoft's tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, experienced a significant server incident over the weekend, resulting in widespread service disruptions, unauthorized in-game currency distribution, and various account anomalies. The incident prompted a server shutdown for over 24 hours, during which Ubisoft initiated a rollback to a previous game state. The company has confirmed that players who spent the unauthorized in-game currency will not face penalties, but transactions made during a specific timeframe will be reversed.
Incident Overview
The incident, described by Ubisoft as a "server incident" and reported by players as involving "potential unauthorized access or exploits," began over the weekend. Reports indicated that unauthorized actors gained access to the game's servers, leading to multiple in-game alterations and service interruptions across all major platforms.
Service Disruptions
The official service status page for Rainbow Six Siege indicated critical issues affecting PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Core services such as authentication, in-game store access, and matchmaking were listed as experiencing outages, with overall connectivity degraded.
Ubisoft acknowledged an incident on Saturday morning ET/PT. Less than two hours later, the game and its associated Marketplace were taken offline for remediation. The game remained offline for more than 24 hours before beginning to be brought back online late Sunday evening, with full access restored approximately two hours later. However, at the time of reports, the game's official website status page still indicated global outages.
In-Game Account Anomalies
Upon logging in, players reported several anomalies, including:
- Receiving significant amounts of R6 Credits and Renown, with some reports detailing approximately 2 billion R6 Credits distributed to player accounts. This amount is estimated to represent a value exceeding $13 million based on standard store rates.
- Acquiring thousands of Alpha Packs.
- Gaining access to exclusive cosmetic items, such as developer skins and Glacier skins.
Additionally, reports emerged regarding the in-game ban feed displaying arbitrary and unconventional messages, which usually indicate user bans. These messages included phrases such as "What else are they hiding from us?", "All work and no play makes me a dull boy," and lyrics from the song "It Wasn't Me." Ubisoft stated these messages were not triggered by them, noting that the ban ticker feature had been disabled in a prior update. Claims also circulated regarding thousands of accounts, including those of streamers and high-profile players, being randomly banned and unbanned.
Ubisoft's Response and Resolution
Ubisoft's official Rainbow Six account acknowledged the incident and stated that teams were working on a resolution. Initial communications did not reference a security breach or exploit, which led to criticism from some players who suggested the nature of the event was being downplayed.
On Sunday, Ubisoft announced it was in the process of rolling back the game to a previous state and would conduct "extensive quality control tests." The specific method by which unauthorized access to the servers was gained has not yet been officially disclosed. The in-game Marketplace remains closed indefinitely as investigations continue.
Player Impact and Guidance
Ubisoft has confirmed that players who spent the unauthorized R6 Credits will not face penalties or bans. However, all transactions conducted after December 27, 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT, will be reversed. This reversal process is expected to temporarily affect some legitimate purchases, with players potentially losing access to certain in-game items. Ubisoft anticipates these issues will be resolved over a two-week period.
Prior to Ubisoft's full clarification, prominent Siege content creator KingGeorge advised players to refrain from logging in and to avoid spending any in-game currency if they gained access, citing potential bans or account rollbacks.