How Will Xbox Handle Rainbow Six Siege's New Free-to-Play Update?

I think the free-to-play part only covers some modes, like casual or unranked play. Since Xbox only recently stopped charging for online multiplayer on free-to-play games, you’ll probably be able to play those free modes without a Gold subscription. But if you want the full game experience or ranked matches, you’ll likely need Xbox Live Gold or to buy the premium content.

Honestly, there isn’t anything special Xbox really has to do here. The updated free-to-play modes should just be accessible without Xbox Live Gold. But keep in mind that this only applies to that free portion, not the entire game. So, free modes are free to play online, but other parts of Siege may still need a subscription or purchase.

Usually, with free-to-play games on Xbox, you don’t need a Gold subscription to play online. However, Siege is a competitive shooter with both free and paid content. My guess is it’ll be similar to Call of Duty: Warzone, where the free mode is accessible without Gold, but accessing ranked or premium modes might still require a subscription or purchase. It depends on how Ubisoft sets it up.

Since Rainbow Six Siege is going free-to-play for part of the game, Xbox likely won’t require a Live Gold subscription to access those free modes anymore. Microsoft changed their policy back in 2021, so free-to-play multiplayer games don’t need Gold to go online. That means you’ll be able to play the free Siege modes online without subscribing to Xbox Live Gold.