All weapons and gadgets balance changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes (Y10S3)

The latest weapons and gadgets balance changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes are expected to shift the operator meta in the game. With the latest seasonal update, the developers have brought forth a unique mix of changes, starting from the removal of ACOG sights from Defender weapons to the alteration of numerous gadgets in the game.

In this article, we explore all the latest weapon and gadget balance changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes.

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All weapon changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes

Here's a look at the new weapon changes coming in R6 Siege X Y10S3:

Defender ACOG sights removed

When it comes to weapon changes, we are seeing a major update to attachments for Defenders in the game. As mentioned, several Defender operators will be losing their ACOG sights from their automatic weapons. To compensate for this loss, they will receive unique Gadget updates.

With the latest seasonal update, the following operators will no longer have an ACOG sight on their automatic primary weapons:

• Castle (UMP-45 SMG)
• Doc (MP5 SMG)
• Echo (MP5SD SMG)
• Frost (9mm C1 SMG)
• Goyo (Vector .45 ACP SMG)
• Rook (MP5 SMG)
• Tachanka (9x19VSN SMG)

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MK17 CQB nerfs

On account of how powerful the character has been in the last patch, Blackbeard's MK17 CQB is also getting nerfed. These are the updated weapon stats for the MK17 CQB:

• Magazine: Reduced to 20 (was 25)
• Max Ammunition: Reduced to 221 (was 226)

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REAPER MK2 buff

The REAPER MK2, which was introduced as a secondary for Rauora, is getting buffed this season. Previously, it had extremely high recoil, making it nearly impossible to use as an effective secondary. With the new Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes update, these are the buffs incorporated for the weapon:

• First Shot: Reduced weapon initial kick.
• Horizontal: Softened lateral recoil on first stages.

Furthermore, the REAPER MK2 will be made accessible to the following operators with the latest patch:

• Oryx
• Pulse
• Rauora
• Rook
• Sledge
• Ying

Check out: Rainbow Six Siege X Twitch and TikTok drops (September 2-October 2, 2025): All rewards and how to get

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All gadget changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes

Deployable Shields update

Deployable shields are receiving quality-of-life changes with the latest update. Previously, due to the game's lighting system, the shield would reflect light in a manner that made it extremely difficult for players to utilize the gadget's see-through mechanic. To prevent that, the developers are incorporating a QoL fix to reduce light reflections from the shield.

This change will affect the following Defensive operators:

• Echo
• Ela
• Frost
• Pulse
• Sentry
• Tachanka
• Thorn
• Thunderbird
• Warden

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Ballistic Shield nerf

The Shielded operators in R6 Siege X have been somewhat of a menace. These operators could throw grenades and other utilities without exposing themselves, and it would be close to impossible for a Defender to inflict any damage of their own.

Moving forward, shielded operators will showcase a moment of vulnerability while throwing grenades of any kind. Defenders, if quick enough, can utilize this opening to get an easy elimination against such operators in the game.

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That's all there is to know about the weapon and gadget balance changes in Rainbow Six Siege X Operation High Stakes.

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For more related news and guides, check out:

• Rainbow Six Siege X Operator leaked (Y10S3): Loadout and gadget explained
• Denari in Rainbow Six Siege X: All abilities and weapons
• Rainbow Six Siege X Y10S3: Everything you need to know