Rainbow Six Siege Goyo guide: Ember Rise tips and best weapon loadout

Rounding out the first fifty operators in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Goyo is a defender that goes deep on versatility. However, given the options available to him, it can be tough to ensure you're getting the most out of this blazing Operator. Debuting with Operation Ember Rise, here's how to master his volatile toolset.

Should I play Goyo in Rainbow Six Siege?

The Mexican César Ruiz Hernández, better known as Goyo, is the latest defensive Operator in Rainbow Six Siege, poised to shake up the meta. His diverse abilities look to benefit a range of different playstyles, further supporting his two-speed, two-armor setup.

With access to Mira's phenomenal Vector .45 ACP SMG for roaming and Kaid's TCSG12 shotgun for longer ranges, Goyo supports a variety of approaches. His explosive Volcan shields can be triggered by anyone that can see (and shoot) their rear, meaning you don't even need to be near his defenses, working in tandem with just about anyone.

Whichever playstyle you bring to Goyo, it's vital to waste attacker time, holding back rushes, and forcing them to deal with your collection of shields. Attacking in Rainbow Six Siege is largely about maintaining momentum and making use of every second to clutch a victory. Much like fellow defender Smoke, Goyo attacks time directly, and there's very little to counter it.

Goyo gadget and ability

Goyo's Volcan mirrors the redesigned deployable shields from the front but packs a hefty red tank strapped to the rear. Shoot this or destroy the shield and it explodes, dealing explosive damage while leaving behind a small circle of fire, ruining the day of anyone standing passing through. The duration is long enough to fry an attacker planting the defuser, but can also buy you an extra final few seconds.

Better, Goyo is bringing not just one Volcan into play, but three. They can be used as a regular deployable shield to block small arms fire, also looking identical to the regular deployable shields. It creates situations where attackers must treat all shields as a credible threat, especially as there's no way to destroy Volcans without a deadly firebomb.

Anyone can destroy the shield by shooting the canister on the back, but they're also vulnerable to explosions. This means Ash, Zofia, or frag grenades can blow the canister, damaging anyone nearby.

The initial explosion does 30-40 damage depending on the armor of the those in the impact radius, followed by 36 damage-per-second. If an attacker gets trapped inside, it's going to be a quick death.

Goyo guns and best loadout

Few operators can say this, but Goyo doesn't have a wrong choice in his loadout. The Vector .45 ACP is a balanced SMG that should suit most players, while the ACOG-bearing TCSG12 has no problems taking foes down if you can land your shots.

What you choose depends on how well you can shoot. The Vector is ideal for spraying through walls and pitched firefights, but if you can hit shots reliably with the TCSG12, it will pay huge dividends. Especially if you're anchoring from the objective or shooting over longer distances.

In terms of gadgets, you've also got choices. Impact Grenades are useful for making rotation holes, better suited for a mobile player who's always on the move. Meanwhile, the Nitro Cell is better for sheer fragging potential and will help deal with pesky shields that roll up to the objective.

Rounding out Goyo's kit is the P229 pistol. No choices here, so I can't tell you what is best. However, it's a solid performer with a fast fire-rate and a decent damage per shot, so it's a reliable backup.

Goyo tips and tricks

There are some synergies with Volcan Shields and several other operators that you should exploit to play Goyo successfully. Kapkan can put his explosive mines on the doorway behind a Volcan Shield, meaning that if vaulted over, it triggers a chain of explosions, instantly killing the unfortunate attacker.

Frost traps are immune to the Volcan explosion too, meaning you can happily put Frost traps down in the vicinity of a shield for added confusion, snagging people trying hauling from the fiery death. Maestro's Evil Eye remote cameras can also be used to watch a Volcan Shield, and the zaps from the camera can destroy the mounted explosive.

Crucially, you need to work out your placements on the shield. The small explosions can detonate hatches and punch holes in "soft" (unreinforced) walls, meaning you can set them up to open a line of sight if attackers destroy them, or as an escape route when under pressure. Every new sightline is an extra complication for attackers, and you can take advantage of this with quick, accurate shots.

Place it next to a window, and you can make the route unusable for ten seconds. Equally, slapping it down in the middle of the room can fill the radius with hot death. Just don't sabotage your team in the process.

Light it up

Success with Goyo is about placing the shields smartly and positioning well. He's an Operator that's easy to use, and an almost guaranteed net positive, even if catching a bullet in the first early seconds.

Operation Ember Rise is now available for free on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, providing the first chance to get hands-on with Amaru and Goyo. Both Operators are now available via seven-day Year 4 Pass early access, with a full public launch slated for September 18.