How the new Operator Fenrir will affect Rainbow Six Siege's trap meta

Rainbow Six Siege is set to introduce its second season for Year 8 with Operation Dread Factor. Players have been excited to welcome Fenrir, the new Defender with the F-NATT Dread Mines. With another trap Operator coming into the fold, many esports professionals are concerned about the ongoing Siege meta. After eight years of service, Rainbow Six Siege has undergone many meta-shifts with Operators and map balances.

That said, with Siege being a tactical shooter, the ongoing trap meta may cause an imbalance in ranked matchmaking.

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How will Fenrir work in Rainbow Six Siege Operation Dread Factor?

Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Fenrir will have five F-NATT Mines at his disposal. These mines can be detonated only by Fenrir, where the trapped Attacker will become nearsighted and have a paranoia effect, similar to Fade's Prowler ability from Valorant.

He can place each of these mines at desired locations. However, the catch is that Fenrir will only be able to use three of them in a round. After using three F-NATTS, the other two will no longer have any use, and Attackers can simply shoot down the mines.

He can also be paired with other info-based Defenders like Valkyrie and Lesion to have excellent setups on bomb sites. However, players will have to maintain communication to execute such setups.

Fenrir's F-NATT Dread Mines are relatively balanced and can be easily destroyed through Attacker utility like Frag Grenades or other explosives such as Zofia's breaching rounds. They can also be detected by IQs and captured by Brava's Kludge Drone.

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How can Fenrir become a problem for the ongoing Siege meta?

Rainbow Six Siege has always been a tactical shooter with a heavy emphasis on strategy and team play. The competitive shooter is also known for being extremely defender-sided and utility-heavy. In the past, countless esports professionals and ranked players have complained about Siege's utility-heavy meta.

The upcoming Operator Fenrir, despite being an excellent Defender, unfortunately, has the potential to fall under one of the most annoying trap Operators tier-list in the coming days. Operators like Lesion, Ela, Thorn, Frost, and Kapkan are already dominating the ranked matchmaking, where players often complain about clearing too much utility playing as an Attacker.

Adding Fenrir to the list, Defenders in Rainbow Six Siege will be able to dominate more games. This can be an issue, as Siege will again be in the state where it was a few seasons ago.

The developers took the trouble of balancing the game for both sides, adding Attackers like Brava and Flores. However, Fenrir's inclusion may cause little issues in the meta. Moreover, the Swedish Defender already has one of the most powerful loadouts in the game. With an MP-7 in his arsenal, he is a force to be reckoned with.