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Release & story order

Rainbow Six games in order

This Rainbow Six games in order page curates the Western milestones players still ask about in 2026—Rainbow Six: Vegas, Vegas 2, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege—with US release dates and honest continuity notes. Release is ship history for that curated set. Story follows the soft Vegas duo narrative, then treats Siege as a live-ops roster era rather than a numbered campaign sequel. Classic Rogue Spear / Raven Shield appear in FAQ only so we do not pad thin rows. Essentials covers Siege-first, Vegas duo, or the full curated checklist. Ubisoft neighbors: Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry.

Updated September 2026

Pick your path:

Modern Siege Vegas duo Full curated Full release list Story order

Where to start

Pick Modern Siege if you only want the live-service endpoint, Vegas duo for the last major campaign pair, or Full curated for every Release entry on this page. Essentials keeps the checklist short; hide paths you are not running.

  • Competitive / friends → modern-siege first; add Vegas later for campaign roots
  • Single-player mood → vegas-duo before learning Siege’s operator meta
  • Completionists → full-curated in Release order, then revisit Story soft links

Release order

When Ubisoft shipped the curated Western milestones in the US—Rainbow Six: Vegas (November 21, 2006), Vegas 2 (March 18, 2008), and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (December 1, 2015). This page deliberately skips dumping every mid-2000s spin-off; classic PC tactics titles stay in FAQ so Release stays useful for 2026 players.

  • Modern multiplayer → jump straight to Siege (modern-siege Essentials)
  • Campaign nostalgia → Vegas then Vegas 2 before touching Siege
  • Full curated set → Release order Vegas → Vegas 2 → Siege
  • Skip cost → skipping Vegas duo loses the last big R6 single-player campaigns
Story order tips

Soft fiction path: Vegas into Vegas 2 as a continuing counter-terror campaign tone, then Siege as a live-ops soft reboot where operators, seasons, and esports matter more than a single-player campaign ladder. Use Story when you care about that Vegas duo feel; use Release when you only need ship order into the modern Siege endpoint.

  • Soft arc: Vegas → Vegas 2, then Siege as a separate live-ops continuity vibe
  • Siege does not require Vegas plot knowledge—operators are the new lore surface
  • Classic Rogue Spear / Raven Shield are FAQ-only—no thin Release rows here
  • On Story order, later entries may be hidden—reveal when ready or use Show all spoilers

Timeline

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When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Rainbow Six: Vegas

    Rainbow Six: Vegas

    Xbox 360PCPS3Tactical shooterMainline

    Rainbow Six: Vegas (November 21, 2006, US Xbox 360; PC and PS3 followed) brings Rainbow into neon Vegas corridors with cover shooting, terrorist hunts, and co-op campaign beats that defined mid-2000s console R6 before the Siege era.

    Overview
    Third-person cover tactics, squad orders, and a Hollywood-terrorist Vegas setting modernized Rainbow for HD consoles. Co-op campaign and Terrorist Hunt modes kept the brand alive between classic PC tactics and live-service Siege.
    In-game setting
    Opens the soft Vegas duo narrative. Vegas 2 continues the campaign tone with returning Rainbow operators; Siege later resets into a multiplayer-first roster fantasy rather than a numbered Vegas 3.
    Should you play it?
    Best single-player Rainbow entry still widely remembered. Required on vegas-duo and full-curated Essentials; soft-skip only if you know you want Siege multiplayer alone and accept losing campaign roots.
    Release date
    US Xbox 360 launch November 21, 2006; PC December 12, 2006; PS3 June 26, 2007. Prefer backwards-compatible Xbox or PC storefronts in 2026—verify online features before buying used discs.
  2. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

    Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

    Xbox 360PCPS3Tactical shooterMainline

    Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (March 18, 2008, US) continues the Vegas-era Rainbow campaign with refined cover combat, more Terrorist Hunt maps, and co-op—the last major Western R6 single-player push before the long gap to Siege.

    Overview
    Iterates Vegas cover shooting with customizable operators, denser co-op maps, and a campaign that still feels like classic Rainbow counter-terror fantasy. Marks the end of the console campaign era for most Western players.
    In-game setting
    Soft sequel after Vegas—same era, returning tone, campaign continuity without needing every mid-2000s spin-off. Next Release milestone on this page is Siege, a live-ops soft reboot rather than Vegas 3.
    Should you play it?
    Play after Vegas for the full duo. Soft-skip only if Siege is your sole interest—you miss the last big Rainbow campaign pair that still feels like story-led tactical action.
    Release date
    US March 18, 2008 on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. Same generation as Vegas; check Xbox backwards compatibility and PC multiplayer status before expecting online Terrorist Hunt.
  3. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

    PCPS4Xbox OnePS5Xbox Series X/STactical shooterMainlineLive service

    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege (December 1, 2015, US) is the live-service endpoint—destructible maps, attacker/defender operators, and years of seasons that replaced numbered campaign sequels as the modern Rainbow identity.

    Overview
    Round-based tactical multiplayer with soft destruction, unique operator gadgets, and a decade of seasonal content. Esports and battle pass eras redefined Rainbow more than any single-player campaign could.
    In-game setting
    Live-ops soft reboot after the Vegas duo. Operator lore and seasonal events are the continuity surface—not a required Vegas plot quiz. Treat it as the 2026 default Rainbow experience.
    Should you play it?
    Default modern Essentials pick. Play anytime relative to Vegas for multiplayer; play after the duo only when you want campaign nostalgia before learning the operator meta.
    Release date
    US December 1, 2015 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One; current-gen upgrades and ongoing seasons followed. Prefer the latest platform patch and free-to-try entry points when available in your region.

FAQ

Where to start in 2026, Vegas continuity, Siege as live service, classic PC tactics, and related Ubisoft shooters.

Release order

Multiplayer / friends: jump to Siege (modern-siege Essentials).

Campaign nostalgia: Vegas → Vegas 2, then optionally Siege.

Ubisoft neighbors: Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, Far Cry.

Story & continuity

Vegas into Vegas 2 is a soft campaign continuation. Siege is better treated as a live-ops soft reboot: operators and seasons carry the brand, not a required Vegas plot exam. Play the duo for campaign tone; play Siege for modern Rainbow identity.

Siege & editions

Yes for almost every Western player in 2026. Siege is a live-service tactical shooter with years of operators, map reworks, and seasonal lore—not a one-and-done campaign sequel to Vegas 2. Prefer the current patched client over hunting old year-one discs alone.

Optional & related

Classic PC tactics milestones like Rogue Spear and Raven Shield matter to history fans, but this page keeps Release curated for 2026: Vegas duo + Siege. Dumping every spin-off would create thin rows without enough note depth. Hunt classics on PC storefronts if you want pure 1990s/2000s planning sims.

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.