The Rainbow Six Siege open beta is now underway

The Rainbow Six Siege open beta, which was delayed at the last minute because of problems with matchmaking and connectivity, is now underway. In an update posted earlier today, Ubisoft announced that those problems have been solved and the beta, as of 12 pm EST, is open.

Ubisoft said in a prior update that the server issues were introduced while fixing a different aspect of the game. It added that the scheduled launch of Rainbow Six Siege will not be affected, and that it is "confident the game will work as intended" once it goes live.

"This Open Beta will ensure the cleanest launch possible," Ubisoft wrote. "Keep in mind that this beta is intended for this exact reason: find problems and troubleshoot them to ensure the most stable launch possible."

This is true, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have more confidence in the process myself if it wasn't just five days away. The Rainbow Six Siege open beta runs until November 29 and, barring further breakdowns, the game will go into full launch on December 1.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.