Features
10 years of Siege: Challenges, ups, relevance, and the decade that lies ahead
One of Ubisoft’s most popular titles keeps reinventing itself — and that’s what resonates with players
At the recent gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2025, Ubisoft also went all-out in spotlighting Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and its 10-year journey throughout the annual gathering.
There were hands-on demos, experiential zones, and cosplays; Ubisoft even gave away a custom PC. Plus, a Siege esports tournament was held.
The tactical shooter’s creative director, Alexander Karpazis, also graced gamescom Asia x TGS 2025. He appeared for a fireside chat to reflect on a decade of Siege. This included talking about the Siege X update from earlier this year.
Such pageantries show that the title has come a long way. It’s also hard to imagine given the spectacles that at some point, Siege wasn’t off to a good start.
Slow start
Among the prominent issues Siege players experienced after launch in 2015 were its gameplay inconsistencies like balance issues and bugginess. Ubisoft also struggled with poor initial sales.
Some attribute the game being rushed for modern consoles at the time to it not resonating among gamers initially.
Others felt that the story veered away from the Rainbow Six series since Siege became a reboot after Rainbow Six: Patriots was cancelled.
The title saw low player numbers, hence, slower matchmaking times and longer waiting times for them.
Turnaround
For developers, it’s easy to think about pulling the plug on a game that is not being received well early on. But Ubisoft stuck with a long-term plan.
Fueled by a games-as-a-service mantra, Ubisoft delivered countless free updates, including adding new operators and game modes.
The consistency of post-launch support and updates kept the community glued. And from late 2016 to 2019, there was a tremendous turnaround period.
It started with the Skull Rain DLC from 2016, before Siege doubled its total registered player base by 2017. It was also the year where Ubisoft prioritized overhauled several aspects of the game, from its servers to content.
In 2019, there was also a surge in terms of average concurrent players. This could be credit to the title offering free-to-play weekends, as well as the Six Invitational tournament.
Pieces eventually fell into place, and it’s clear that Siege is here to stay with millions and millions of players.
The Siege X update, of course, sets the game up for the next few years while honoring what has been a decade’s worth of reinventing.
“We want to respect our players that have invested 10 years of their lives into a game like this. We didn’t want to lose any of that. That was the major thing. Siege X also represented more of a long term view, of delivering an update,” Karpazis said.
Commitment to player base the key — Creative Director
Siege has weathered rough patches throughout its 10-year journey, before eventually reaching the pinnacle. Karpazis said it’s Ubisoft’s commitment to its player base and respecting their feedback that has catapulted the tactical shooter to among Ubisoft’s most relevant IPs.
“We are mainly driven by the community. Things like modernizing our maps to make them look more visually rich and up to date with great lighting, that comes from the community itself,” he shared.
“Things like destructible ingredients, these are tactical things that players would expect us to keep on evolving … As much as we always have our own ideas of what we want to do, the first place that we look for ideas is from the community.”
In terms of key numbers, Siege is right up there with some of Ubisoft’s most beloved franchises like Just Dance, Assassin’s Creed, and Far Cry, to name a few. A Reddit thread even argued that Siege is Ubisoft’s most important game.
Siege keeps surprising
Rainbow Six Siege officially turns ten (10) this December. For Karpazis, the title has stood the test of time with its uniqueness. And part of that includes how developers have invested a lot into continuously improving all aspects of it.
“It is a tactical, strategic shooter even though it’s PvP. For us, the big thing is we do want to continue respecting our things like the characters that are found all over the game, the destruction that is so unique to our game as well, compared to other competition,” he said. “Ingredients like that sets us apart. It makes for an interesting discoveries.”
And yet, Ubisoft still owes it to the fans to keep surprising them with new updates. In fact, creators thoroughly planned the Siege X update before it was released, with a blueprint for the next decade in mind.
“The big part is it’s a brand new foundation for the game where we can say, alright, we’re ready for the next 10 years of Siege as well,” Karpazis said of the title’s biggest update.
“That means making sure on a technical level, we can deliver new surprises to the players. Even on a creative level, it lets us start playing with new ingredients, gameplay mechanics, and modernized gameplay that players would expect today versus 10 years ago when it first came.”
The decade that lies ahead
Not only is Siege here to stay; it continues to rewrite its pages. And that’s what resonates with its massive fanbase.
“One of the elements that we think about more and more today is how to continue injecting innovation into the game design,” Karpazis added.
“There’s Year 11. I think we have some great surprises, things we’ve never tried before, big things that players will still get excited about … I think it shows the promise the team still has for Siege for the next 10 years.”
Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!
Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.
Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:
Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”
Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.
Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.
Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.
Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.
Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.
DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.
The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.
Freedom behind the lens
The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.
On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.
FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.
ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.
It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.
None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.
And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.
The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.
The trade-offs in touch
The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.
DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.
You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.
Finding your ideal workflow
The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.
If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.
Price, availability
DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.
- Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
- Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
- Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.
Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?
The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.
If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.
Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.
Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.
And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.
Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.
This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.
Features
GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey
A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.
It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.
Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.
While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.
All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.
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