Rainbow Six Tactics is launching in 2027 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, shifting the franchise into a turn-based tactics genre. Game Director Martial Potron reveals that the development team leaned on the DNA of Mario + Rabbids to master turn-based precision and metrics, departing from traditional cinematic smoke and mirrors.
How Mario + Rabbids Shaped Rainbow Six Tactics
Developing a turn-based tactical spin-off required a fundamental change in philosophy for developers accustomed to real-time shooters. Martial Potron noted that the level design team from Mario + Rabbids played a vital role in shaping the upcoming project.
“Mario + Rabbids helped us shape some parts,” Potron explained in an interview with TechRadar Gaming. “The team, especially the level design team that came from Mario + Rabbids, really helped us to understand the metrics of tactics.”
While the broader Rainbow Six franchise relies on first-person style, the development team felt that the core DNA of the series already suited a tactical genre. Rather than forcing a real-time perspective, the studio pivoted to a turn-based architecture.
Shedding Ghost Recon Habits for Chess-Like Precision
Moving to a turn-based environment meant unlearning years of design muscle memory. Potron worked on Ghost Recon, where development habits frequently relied on cinematic illusions.
In action-oriented shooters, developers often employ smoke and mirrors regarding enemy behaviors and lethality to craft a dramatic, cinematic experience for the player. Turn-based tactics, however, tolerate no such illusions.
“In tactical, everything is very precise,” Potron said. “It’s pure. It’s like chess. So we had to change a bit of our mindset to adjust to this philosophy.”
For a veteran developer, this required breaking a 15-year routine. Potron added that this shift marked a major paradigm shift for the studio’s internal habits as they prepare for the 2027 release across PC and modern consoles.
