Rainbow Six Siege's first season of Year 3 content kicks off on March 6 with the release of Operation Chimera on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Chimera features two new Operators – Lion and Finka – who represent French and Russian counter-terrorism units, respectively, as biohazard specialists. Along with traditional, competitive Rainbow Six Siege multiplayer matches, these new Operators will see their weapons and gadgets put into action in Outbreak, a new four-week co-op event that starts March 6.

They won't be alone. Lion and Finka will be joined by Smoke, Ying, Buck, Kapkan, Ash, Doc, Tachanka, Glaz, and Recruit as playable Operators sent to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The town has come under attack from extraterrestrial parasite – called the Apex – that has transformed much of the local population into horrific creatures, forcing the government to set up a quarantine zone around the town and prevent the spread of the parasite. A team of three Operators will be tasked with not only entering the quarantine zone, but also destroying the infestation at its source.

Outbreak will have two different difficulty settings: Normal and Pandemic. Both are designed to encourage communication and coordination to succeed against the Apex and the different types of monsters lurking in the quarantine zone, but Pandemic introduces stronger enemies and friendly fire, making positional awareness and communication all that much more necessary to complete an incredible challenge. Additionally, players will have to make smart use of barriers and fortifications to defend against an enemy that doesn't mind taking a few bullets as it rushes its target.

Three exclusive co-op levels will also be featured in Outbreak. Since these levels are designed from the ground up for the co-op experience, they're larger and more open than the game's competitive maps. Additionally, while they're designed to give players a clear sense of progression, these stages will retain Rainbow Six Siege's trademark destruction elements, creating opportunities for alternate paths and tactics when the situation calls for it.

Want to learn more about Chimera and Outbreak? Be sure to visit the official Rainbow Six Siege site and tune into the Six Invitational Finals livestream at https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6 on February 18 and 19.