https://youtu.be/NsYYDlkQTGs

The Rainbow Six Esports Global Circuit will be comprised of the following 9 regions:

• Europe
• North America
• Brazil
• Japan
• South Korea
• Hispanic Latin America
• Asia
• Oceania
• MENA

The competitive season will run from March through the following February and will be structured as follows:

• March to May: Stage 1, concluded by an extended Six Major in May
• June to August: Off-Season
• September to November: Stage 2, concluded by an extended Six Major in November
• December to February: Off-Season
• February: Six Invitational

We are working side by side with BLAST to tailor the programs to the specificities of each region*. BLAST will bring the best of its industry-leading technology, 'fan-first' production values and extensive tournament organizer experience to deliver on our shared vision for the future of Rainbow Six Esports.

You will find below an overview of each phase of the competitive season, and the remaining details will be shared over the coming months, including a reveal segment at the Six Invitational 2023.

*Except Japan.

stage 1 & 2:  the regional programs

The regional programs are the path to qualify for the Six Major at the end of each stage.

In the new Global Circuit, the concept of the regional programs is based on a hybrid approach that combines both closed and open components.

• Regular opportunities for up-and-coming players to compete against pros and show their potential are crucial for the long-term health and competitiveness of the scene. Therefore, all 9 regions will feature an open qualifier component where all teams can compete to grab a spot at the Six Major.

• In parallel, certain regions will also run closed leagues where fans will be able to enjoy the top teams competing at the highest level of Siege Esports. We recognize the efforts and investments that are required from organizations to grow and sustain high performing rosters while offering exciting content for their fans. We want to create programs where organizations can fully thrive.

Combined, the closed leagues and Six Major open qualifiers will together determine which teams qualify for the Six Major at the end of each stage.

While we are still finetuning the details for Asia, Oceania, and MENA alongside our partner, we can already share that the following regions will have closed leagues running in parallel with their open qualifiers:

• Europe: closed league with up to 10 teams.
• North America: closed league with up to 10 teams.
• Brazil: closed league with up to 10 teams.
• Japan: closed league with up to 10 teams.
• South Korea: closed league with up to 8 teams.
• Hispanic Latin America: closed league with up to 8 teams.

Through their respective programs, each region offers a path to qualify for the Six Major, which will create more opportunities for exciting international matches, while offering up-and-coming teams a clear path to the top level of competition. Running 9 regional programs will also boost the scalability of our ecosystem, allowing us to adapt quickly to each region's community and growth in the coming years.

six majors

With 9 regions sending teams to the Six Majors, we are extending the format of these events.

The Six Majors will now feature an additional phase before the Group Stage and Playoffs:

• The 1^st phase is a new addition to the event. The qualification path in each region, the exact number of teams participating in this phase and its competitive format will all be revealed at the Six Invitational 2023 alongside the detailed regional programs.
• The 2^nd phase will gather 16 teams competing in Groups, with 2 possible ways to qualify:
  • Through performance in select regional closed leagues
  • or by fighting their way through the regional Six Major qualifiers and the first phase of the event
    The top 8 teams out of the Group Stage will advance.
• The 3^rd phase consists of Playoffs where 8 teams will compete to determine the winners of the Six Major.

With more regions represented in the event and some teams coming directly from regional qualifiers, the show promises diverse cross-regional matchups and exciting storylines. We can't wait to see this new version of the Six Majors come to life.

off seasons

The competitive season will include 2 Off-Seasons. When listening to our partners, participating organizations and community feedback, we identified that the global circuit would benefit from additional breathing room.

The pre-defined Off-Seasons will give more time for teams to regroup, rest and prepare for the next Stage or competition, while creating room for third-party tournaments.

a new point system to qualify for the six invitational

In Rainbow Six Esports, the entire season is a race to score points to qualify for the Six Invitational, the pinnacle of the competitive year that gathers the 20 best teams every season. The winners are crowned Rainbow Six Siege's World Champions, and get to lift the coveted Sledge Hammer.

We want the Six Invitational to be a celebration of the teams that showed sustained performance throughout the entire season. Therefore, we have decided to move away from having Last Chance Qualifiers granting spots to the event. Instead, teams can participate in the regional Qualifiers for each Six Major in order to score points in the Global Standings.

With 9 regions now part of the Global Circuit, we are adjusting our point system for the start of Season 2023. Teams will continue to score points based on their regional and international performance, although the point system will now be particularly rewarding for teams showing recurrent performance at international events. The top 20 teams in the Global Standings at the end of the season will qualify to the Six Invitational.

https://youtu.be/jOfJfC_H8hY

transition from season 2022

As we transition into 2023, the rewards for the teams* that would have been eligible for promotions, or promotion matches, across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific at the end of Season 2022 will be twofold:

• For the remainder of Season 2022, the teams will have a preferential seeding into their regional Last Chance Qualifiers for the Six Invitational 2023. 

• For Season 2023, these teams will have advantages tailored to the specifics of their affiliated regional program. We will share more details at the Six Invitational 2023 alongside the full reveal of the regional programs.  

*These teams include the winner and runner-up of the European Challenger League, winner of the NA Challenger League, winner of the B Divisions in LATAM, winners and runners-up of the Japan League, Korean Open, Oceanic nationals, South Asia nationals and Southeast Asia championship.

r6 share

A true cornerstone of our esports scene, R6 SHARE will continue to support our efforts to build a long-lasting, sustainable, and highly competitive Rainbow Six Esports ecosystem.

what's next?

Over the coming months, we will be working side-by-side with BLAST to finetune the remaining details of the circuit and prepare to welcome you all in our streams in March for the launch of Stage 1.

But before launch, let's turn towards the Six Invitational 2023, where we will be revealing extra details about the regional programs, Six Majors and more.

Stay tuned!

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