Ubisoft is testing out a version of Rainbow Six Siege attacker Zofia that has been stripped of her controversial Withstand ability, which allows Zofia to stand up with 5% of her health after being downed. The change comes hot on the heels of an EU League Finals match in which MnM Gaming’s Yuzus pulled off a 1v2 win using the ability.
In the Y5S4.3 Designer’s Notes published today, Ubisoft runs through some balancing changes that will be arriving with the multiplayer game’s 4.3 patch. In Platinum ranks and above, Zofia appears in around 70% of matches – the second most popular, among attackers – and while her Withstand ability isn’t usually a factor in determining the outcome of games, situations where it does prove the deciding factor are generally derided as being unfair.
So after three years or so of the ability taking flak from top players, Withstand looks like it’s finally getting the axe. It’s been removed from Zofia’s ability set on the test server, along with her resistance to concussion effects. Ubisoft has also reduced the explosive range of her impact grenade, from three metres down to two.
Here’s Yuzus’ clutch play from January 16:
Even injure, @Yuzus_ can be a threat to his opponents, unbelievable 1v2 very good mastered!
6-2 for @Rogue🔴 https://t.co/TGunmwFkX7 pic.twitter.com/niY4jlQKAX
— Rainbow6CL (@Rainbow6_CL) January 16, 2021
And while Ubisoft didn’t mention the match in the Designer’s Notes, Yuzus was happy to take credit for the change:
You’re welcome 👍 pic.twitter.com/IFGtEFvH8B
— Yuzus (@Yuzus_) January 25, 2021
The Road to SI event has kicked off in Siege now, so you can return to the Stadium to compete for rewards in a new battle pass. The tournament itself will run February 9-21, with the finals set to be held in Paris.