Ubisoft has announced the post-launch DLC plan for Rainbow Six Extraction, confirming that a "sizeable" amount of the content will be completely free.

　　Extraction is getting a challenge mode called Maelstrom Protocol, which Ubisoft says is being designed to appeal to the "most skilled" players. In the mode, players will fight through nine "subzones," each featuring new, more difficult enemies than the last. Players will also find their resources deplete more quickly and the total time available for each stage drops each round.

　　Upon reaching checkpoints, players can "extract" to put their points into a bank or keep going. Players will be designated with Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond based on their performance, and each tier comes with its own cosmetic items.

　　Extraction will also have Crisis Events and Assignments. The Crisis Events are limited-time events featuring themed content, as well as a new Operator or a new Protean enemy to take on. "In the first Crisis Event, Spillover, players must wipe out mass colonies of an evolved version of the Sprawl as hordes of Archæans attempt to stop them. These events will reward exclusive REACT Tech, new cosmetics, and new lore," Ubisoft said.

　　Assignments, meanwhile, are weekly modes featuring special gameplay modifiers. The Veteran Mode, for example, removes the HUD, limits your ammo, and allows for friendly fire.

　　The Maelstrom Protocol and Assignments will be available at launch, and Crisis Events will come "soon after."

　　As announced previously, Extraction launches on January 20 for $40, and it comes with two "Buddy Pass" tokens that let you play with friends for up to 14 days across platforms. All progress during this period for the free players will carry over if they decide to buy the game outright.

　　While Rainbow Six Extraction includes various features from Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft is adamant that the two games will appeal to different audiences, with the game's creative director saying the two games are "very different."

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