What you need to know
- Ubisoft is expected to rename its upcoming cooperative shooter, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Alleged key art suggests the project will soon adopt "Rainbow Six Parasite" branding.
- The Rainbow Six Quarantine project is currently scheduled to launch sometime between April 2021 and March 2022.
Update, February 16 (7:40 ET): Ubisoft has issued a statement, saying that the game is being referred to internally as Parasite but that it's not the official rebrand, with more information coming soon.
Ubisoft is reportedly set to rebrand Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine, its upcoming cooperative shooter, expanding on the universe of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. The sci-fi successor to its multiplayer hit was first unveiled back at E3 2019, portraying a world ravished by an alien parasite. The COVID-19 pandemic soon put those plans on hold, and while development quietly continued, the premise gained newfound weight in light of current world events.
A new report alleges Ubisoft has finalized new branding, adopting "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Parasite" as the latest name for the project. Unreleased assets related to the title were first published by MP1ST, following a file uploaded to PlayStation Network, documented as the 1.01 "initial launch patch." That includes alleged key art with Parasite branding, portraying existing Operator Elżbieta "Ela" Bosak sporting protective gear.
Speculation around a new title for the Rainbow Six Quarantine project has circulated for some time, after multiple delays pushing its launch beyond its initial 2020 launch plans. Previously absent from multiple Ubisoft press conferences, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot recently suggested the company was evaluating the title's branding ahead of launch. "On Rainbow Six Quarantine, we are creating a product that is actually – as it's named today – it is something we are evaluating and we'll see what comes in the future on that product," Guillemot stated in a recent earnings call.
Ubisoft has remained tight on Rainbow Six Quarantine's details but alludes to a cooperative setup akin to its previous limited-time Outbreak mode released for Rainbow Six Siege in early 2018. We've seen new details continue to surface through various leaks, including many returning personas from Rainbow Six Siege. Past reports suggested a nationwide backdrop, from New York City to San Francisco, coupled with many of the same gameplay fundamentals as its competitive predecessor.
While the title's fundamental premise remains a sensitive topic, the new branding somewhat distances the project from real-world events. We can expect to learn more about its latest form, including its revised name, over the months ahead.
While Rainbow Six Quarantine is yet to receive a fresh release date, the publisher most recently suggested availability into the 2021/22 fiscal year, scheduled sometime between April 2021 and March 2022.
Update, February 16 (7:40 am ET) — Ubisoft says Parasite isn't the final name
Ubisoft issued a statement to PCgamesn, saying that while these assets are real, 'Parasite' is not the final new name.
"While we recently shared that we will be changing the name of Rainbow Six Quarantine, 'Parasite' is only a placeholder that our internal teams use. Recently, we ran an internal test for the game and some of its details became public. We can confirm this is a glimpse of the upcoming game, and we will share more details, including the official name, soon."
We'll be sure to provide an update on whatever the official new name is whenever it is announced.
