Siege Y6S3: Operation Crystal Guard is going to start in a handful of hours

We're just hours away now! Operation Crystal Guard - Siege's next major title update - is almost here and there's a lot to look forward to. Siege is getting a new face - with Osa joining the roster - and there's a series of Operator and Map changes worth looking out for. Here's everything we know so far...

CONFIRMED DETAILS - Ubisoft reveals all...

We finally know when the Y6S3 update is going to drop and how big the next title update is going to be. You can find that information below:

Release Times

• PC (Uplay, Steam, Stadia, Luna)
  • Maintenance Time: 06:00 PST / 09:00 EST / 14:00 BST
• Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)
  • Maintenance Time: 07:00 PST / 10:00 EST / 15:00 BST
• PlayStation (4, 5)
  • Maintenance Time: 08:00 PST / 11:00 EST / 16:00 BST

Download Sizes

• PC (Steam, Uplay, Stadia, Luna )
  • Steam - 12GB
  • Uplay - 24GB
• Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)
  • One - 20GB
  • Series X|S - 20GB
• PlayStation (4, 5)
  • PS4 - 20GB
  • PS5 - 16GB

MAP CHANGES - Minor but important

Ahead of the Y6S3 update, Ubisoft has shared the following details about all the map changes being made for the next season...

• Bank Map Changes
  • EXT Boulevard vehicles have been moved to new locations to prevent runout eliminations;
  • Some EXT Low Roof and EXT High Roof skylights have been blocked to prevent unfair firefights;
  • Line of sight into EXT Back Alley has been adjusted to prevent spawn peaks;
  • EXT Terrace has been updated to prevent spawn peaks;
  • Filing cabinets between 1F ATMs and 1F Lobby have been removed to prevent easy shots into the interior balcony;
  • All metal bars have been removed from B Vault to increase the ease of shooting;
  • A new alleyway named EXT Side Alley connects EXT Boulevard and EXT Back Alley;
  • Hatch in 1F Lobby now leads to B Vault;
  • Railing in 2F Skylight Stairwell is now destructible;

• Coastline Map Changes
  • The line of sight into the building from EXT Rooftop has been partially blocked to prevent unfair firefights;
  • Some windows in 1F Courtyard are now blocked, and all open windows can be barricaded;
  • A new 1F Reception bomb site replaces the 1F Service Entrance bomb site;
  • 1F Service Entrance is now located between the 1F Reception bomb site and the exterior door, preventing Defenders from planting the defuser directly at the exterior door;
  • The exterior wall in 2F VIP Lounge is now breakable and players can rappel up from EXT DJ Booth;

• Clubhouse Map Changes
  • 1F Stock Room bomb site has been removed and there are now two bomb sites in 1F Bar, one behind the bar and one beside the stage;
  • A doorway has been added between the bar and stage in 1F Bar;
  • New props have been added to the bar area in 1F Bar;
  • A path now connects EXT Kennels and EXT Graffiti Area;

Crystal Guard Release Date and Time

Crystal Guard is coming out on Tuesday, 7 September. The maintenance and release times for the update are staggered across all platforms. On PC, servers will go down at 17:00 BST and the update should be live at 18:00 BST.

On Xbox, everything should be an hour behind. This means servers are down at 18:00 BST and the update is live as 19:00 BST. Finally, PlayStation is a further hour behind so servers are down at 19:00 and the update live at 20:00 BST.

Known Changes in Crystal Guard

A few things we know are changing in Crystal Guard include some balancing for three operators. IQ, Twitch and Fuze will be receiving reworks to ensure they are playable in all game modes.

Three maps are also receiving a fresh coat of pain. Bank, Clubhouse and Coastline are being reworked for balancing issues also. Finally, there is a small change to flash detection in R6 Siege. It will now be based on the duration of the full flash and not the intensity of the flash.

Osa's Loadout

We know a little more about the new operator Osa, who is an attacker. Their Talon-8 Shield is seen by many as a defensive trait but altered slightly to benefit attacking. As we get nearer to the launch of Crystal Guard, here are their reported loadout options;

Primary Weapon Options

• 556xi Assault Rifle
• PDW9 Submachine Gun

Secondary Weapon Options

• PMM Pistol

Gadget Options

• Smoke Grenade
• Claymore

Health Level

• Two Points

Speed Level

• Two Points

Unique Operator Ability

• Talon-8 Shield - Transparent, bulletproof, deployable.