Operation Complete
Big news from the world ofRainbow Six Siege, as veteran designer and current Creative DirectorLeroy Athanassoffhas announced that he is stepping down from the role. Athanassoff’s departure comes as the popular team shooter prepares to embark on its seventh year of operation.
“I wanted to let you know that due to personal reasons, I will be leaving my role of Creative Director on Siege to pursue other opportunities at Ubisoft,”said Athanassoff in a statement.“This isn’t a decision I make lightly — I love this game and this community, and I’m so proud of everything our team has accomplished together over the last two years — but I’m confident that it’s the right one, and the team has given me their full support. Don’t worry, I won’t be going too far, and I have a feeling that my journey with this incredible game is far from over.”
“I want to thank Alex (Karpazis), the entireSiegeteam, and you — our amazing community — for an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait to see whereSiegegoes next!”
Athanassoff has worked on the Ubisoft multiplayer shooter since its rocky inception back in 2016. Starting out as a designer for the title, Athanassoff responsibilities within theRainbow Six Siegeuniverse grew alongside the title’s popularity. Athanassoff would become the Game Director forSiegein the summer of 2017, before eventually taking up the role of Creative Director in 2020, following thedeparture of team leadsXavier Marquis and Alexandre Remy.
Under Athanassoff’s directorial leadership,Rainbow Six Siegehas grown from a relatively grey online shooter to an example of excellence in the genre. Athanassoff’s turn at the head of the table has seenRainbow Six Siegereach beyond its “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six” roots, with a heavier emphasis placed onappealing, charismatic, and engagingcharacters, as well asdeep lore cinematics, a refocus on esports, and anincreasingly inclusiveandLGBTQ positiveroster of operators.
In opening upSiege‘s world, lore, characters, weapons, and gameplay, Athanassoff has only served to broaden the horizons of what “Rainbow Six” can be, while simultaneously adding heart and character to its explosive and chaotic universe. Athanassoff’s contributions toward makingSiegethe spectacular title is it today — still enjoyed by millions of players — cannot be underestimated.
In Athanassoff’s stead, Ubisoft has appointed Alexander Karpazis as the title’s new creative director. A Ubisoft veteran since 2017, Karpazis has most recently worked as a designer and art director forRainbow Six Siege, and is thus partly responsible for the game’s transition from grumpy dude-bros in dusty warehouses to a more colorful cast of characters within an overall more welcoming visual design. It will be interesting to see what Karpazis brings to the role asSiegeenters the first season of Year 7.
Rainbow Six SiegeYear 7 is expected to launch at some point in March 2022. The Six Invitational 2022 tournament is currently scheduled to take place between February 8-20, 2022.
