As we look ahead to 2025, we're excited to share some major updates that will reshape the BLAST R6 ecosystem. Building upon the successes of the past while streamlining our efforts, we're introducing significant changes to create a more dynamic and sustainable competitive environment. Here's an in-depth look at what's coming:

A Fresh Start with a New Calendar

Earlier this year, we provided a sneak peek into our revamped competitive calendar. Here's a quick recap of what you can expect in 2025:

The current season will officially conclude with the Six Invitational, followed by a two-month offseason filled with Challenger Series tournaments, giving Tier 2 teams a chance to shine, and former Tier 1 teams a chance to make a comeback.

The new season will kick off with our May LAN Kick-off event, now officially named Reload, set to take place in Brazil.

This will be followed by two stages of regional leagues, with a short break in August.

The season will wrap up with the November Major, followed by Regional Finals and the SI Last Chance Qualifiers, culminating in the Six Invitational, where our World Champions will be crowned.

This updated structure provides players with time to rest and recharge while also offering opportunities for Tier 2 teams to break into the competitive scene. Additionally, we're working on enhancements to our Tier 3 and grassroots programs, with more details to be shared soon.

Introducing a Streamlined Global League

In recent years, we expanded our ecosystem to include 9 leagues worldwide, which brought new players, teams, and regions into the spotlight. However, to focus our efforts and deliver the highest level of competition, we're consolidating the leagues into 4 regions:

EML (Europe, MENA & Turkey): A newly unified league that brings together teams from Europe, MENA, and Turkey.

SAL (South America League): Merging Brazil and South Latin America into a single, cohesive league.

NAL (North America League): Integrating North America, Central America, Ecuador, and Columbia, for a more competitive structure.

APL (Asia Pacific League): Featuring three subdivisions --- APAC North, comprised of Korea & Japan together; Asia, encompassing the South-East and South Asia area; Oceania, the combination of Australia, New Zealand, and Polynesia.

All league formats are tailored to ensure competitive balance and showcase the best talent from across the globe.

Diving Deeper into Regional Leagues

Our new structure is designed to offer clear pathways for teams to compete at the highest level:

The EML, SAL, and NAL will each feature 10 teams competing through a round-robin format followed by a 6-team playoff per stage. At the end of Stage 2, the top 4 teams will be qualified to the Major. And in December, the combined standings of Stage 1 and Stage 2 will establish the 6 teams making it to each regional final where they'll compete for the title of regional champion.

In the APL, the competition will be divided into three subdivisions: APAC North, Asia, and Oceania. These subdivisions will play through their own familiar format of an online group-stage and playoffs to find the Top teams of their division. For Stage 2, the best teams from each subdivision will fight it out in a LAN Major Qualifier to ensure the best of APAC represent the region at the November Major. In addition, the Top 2 from each sub-division will also qualify for the APL Regional Finals where 6 teams will compete for the crown of the best team in APAC!

Evolving the R6 Share Program

We're thrilled to announce the evolution of our R6 Share program in 2025. This year, we're focusing on deeper partnerships to bring fans even closer to their favorite teams. Today, we're revealing 18 of the 20 partner teams, with the final two set to be announced at the Six Invitational in Boston.

Through a detailed selection process, we've chosen a mix of established organizations and rising stars to join the program. In addition to already existing team branded items, fans can look forward to new in-game item categories like operator portraits, drone skins, and the return of pro-team charms.

Introducing the Affiliate Program:

In addition to the Partner Program, we're launching the Affiliate Program to expand support to up to 23 organizations worldwide.

Distribution: 5 affiliates each in NA, EU, and SA, and 8 affiliates in APAC.

Affiliates will automatically join the program once they qualify for their respective leagues, with the exception of APAC, which has distributed slots based on its respective sub-divisions.

The Affiliate program ensures that teams outside the Partner Program also benefit from revenue sharing. Through a percentage of the sales of their pro-team bundles, Partner teams will contribute to the fund that will ensure the strength and stability of the leagues around the world. Ubisoft will similarly contribute a percentage of all Esports Bundles sales towards this fund, from which all affiliate teams will receive an equal share to support their operations.

Reload: The New May Kickoff Event

We're excited to officially announce our new May event, Reload, which will take place in Brazil. This event will exclusively feature the 20 R6 Share Partner teams, kicking off the competitive season in style.

While we're keeping the full format details under wraps until the Six Invitational 2025, fans can expect something truly special, pushing the boundaries of what a Rainbow Six event can offer.

A New Path to the Six Invitational

We're introducing a hybrid qualification system to streamline how teams qualify for the Six Invitational:

Direct Qualification (9 teams):

Winning the Major (1 team)

Winning Regional Finals (4 teams)

Winning the SI Last Chance Qualifiers (4 teams)

SI Points Qualification (11 teams):

11 teams will qualify based on points accumulated during Stage 1, Stage 2, the Major, and Regional Finals.

Teams can earn points based on consistent performance throughout the season, ensuring that the most deserving teams secure a spot at the Six Invitational.

Looking Ahead

The changes we're making in 2025 are just the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rainbow Six Esports. From Reload, to the evolution of R6 Share and the newly restructured regional leagues, we're committed to delivering even more thrilling competitive action to our fans.

Stay in Touch

Don't miss anything about Rainbow Six Esports and the upcoming Six Invitational 2025 by following us on Twitter at @R6esports and @Rainbow6Game, Instagram and on our website.