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Ubisoft shares more details on Rainbow Six Siege's new zombie-themed Outbreak event

Now with added aliens.

Ubisoft has shared more details on Rainbow Six Siege's upcoming co-operative Outbreak event, and it looks like zombies and aliens are both along for the ride.

Outbreak is free to all players, and runs from March 6th to April 3rd. It forms a major part of Ubisoft's first "season" of Year 3 Rainbow Six Siege content, known as Project Chimera.

Up until now, not too much was known about Outbreak, beyond the fact that its three-player co-operative campaign would, in all likelihood, involve zombies in some form. Ubisoft is far less cagey in its latest blog post, however, offering a full breakdown of the event, alongside a scene-setting story synopsis, and suitably atmospheric new teaser trailer:

So yes, there you go. Zombies and aliens, even if Ubisoft isn't calling them as much. The two combined will apparently offer a challenge "unlike any threat the Rainbow Six team has ever faced before", and Outbreak's mutated horrors will "push the destruction engine to new heights - they won't hesitate to tear through walls to get to you."

Cover image for YouTube videoRainbow Six Siege: Outbreak - Space Capsule | Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

Ubisoft says the event will feature five distinct types of infected to battle, and that the experience has been designed to encourage players to find new ways to use their arsenal "against a foe that doesn't take cover and engages instantly in close combat."

Outbreak also includes three co-op focussed maps, each described as being "bigger and more open" than the game's PvP maps, with substantial outdoor segments. Ubisoft says the maps are more linear than normal too, with "a clear sense of progression", as is befitting of a presumably more narrative-heavy experience. "Nevertheless," it says, "the destruction and multi-path approach that are iconic to Rainbow Six Siege are still very much present."

Rounding off the event's feature list are two difficulty levels: Normal mode is designed to offer a challenge but can be "overcome with coordination and team spirit", while Pandemic mode is considerably more punishing. Here, friendly fire is turned on and enemies are notably stronger, requiring "smart tactical play and team play" in order to prevail.

Due to the somewhat unique nature of Outbreak, Ubisoft says that it's had to be selective regarding the operators you'll be able to use during the co-op campaign. The full list of playable characters, then, is as follows: the two new Operation Chimera Operators, Smoke, Ying, Buck, Kapkan, Ash, Doc, Tachanka, Glaz, and Recruit.

Ubisoft notes that Outbreak - which still includes the controversial Outbreak Collection, containing 50 event-exclusive cosmetic items - should deploy on February 20th. It will open its doors for spirited zombie slaughter on March 6th.