By Online Games VIP Editorial
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A report cited by IGN says Ubisoft Montreal has approval to begin a new Rainbow Six: Vegas project, codenamed Spades, but details remain unconfirmed.
Ubisoft Montreal has reportedly received approval to begin work on a new Rainbow Six: Vegas game, according to IGN, which cited a report from Insider Gaming. The project is said to carry the codename Spades and would continue a series that has not received a new installment since 2008.
IGN’s report says the project is expected to be a new installment rather than a remake, although its final name, platforms, gameplay details, release timing, and even its full scope remain unconfirmed. Ubisoft is also reportedly working on two other projects at the Montreal studio, with one source suggesting that at least one of them could also be connected to the wider Rainbow Six universe.
According to IGN, Insider Gaming’s sources say Ubisoft has given Ubisoft Montreal the go-ahead to begin work on a new entry in the Rainbow Six: Vegas series. The reported codename is Spades. Neither IGN’s source text nor the cited report establishes whether that codename will have any connection to the eventual public title.
IGN says the project is expected to be more like a new sequel than a remake. That distinction is important, but it remains a reported expectation rather than a confirmed description from Ubisoft. The available information does not explain whether the game would directly continue the stories of the earlier titles, revisit their setting and characters, or use the Vegas name for a different tactical experience.
The first Rainbow Six: Vegas launched in 2006, followed by Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 in 2008, according to IGN. The source does not identify a planned launch window for the reported continuation. IGN’s coverage characterizes the project as being in an early stage and advises players not to expect it to release for at least a few more years.
IGN also reports that Ubisoft Montreal is said to be working on two additional projects. Little has been confirmed about those games. The report does not identify their names, genres, platforms, or schedules. One source reportedly suggested that at least one other project could take place somewhere in the Rainbow Six universe, but that possibility has not been detailed further.
Rainbow Six: Vegas occupies a distinct place in the franchise’s history. IGN describes the original game and its sequel as popular entries from a period when Rainbow Six had already moved through several different types of tactical experiences. The franchise itself began with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six in the late 1990s, well before the Vegas games, and has since expanded into multiple formats.
IGN’s review history also shows that the Vegas games were well received by the publication. IGN awarded the original game a 7.6 out of 10 when it launched for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The publication later gave the sequel’s limited edition release an 8.4 out of 10. Those scores are part of IGN’s past review coverage, not an OnlineGamesVIP verdict or a prediction about the reported new project.
The series has remained visible in the conversation around Rainbow Six even as Ubisoft’s attention shifted to other releases. IGN identifies Rainbow Six Siege as the best-known current iteration, supported by Ubisoft since its 2015 launch. The source also notes that Rainbow Six Extraction was the franchise’s most recent released game, arriving in 2022.
That history helps explain the interest in a possible Vegas return. Siege represents a long-running competitive model, while the Vegas name is associated with a separate period and style of Rainbow Six. For players, a new Vegas project could be meaningful because it might offer another direction within the franchise rather than simply adding to Siege’s existing structure. That is analysis based on the series’ known history, not a confirmed description of Spades.
The reported decision to pursue a new installment instead of a remake could give Ubisoft room to revisit the Vegas identity without reproducing either older game exactly. A sequel could preserve recognizable elements while updating the design for modern hardware and player expectations. However, the available reporting does not confirm that Ubisoft intends to use any particular mechanics, story approach, multiplayer format, or visual style.
For returning players, the central question is what Ubisoft believes makes Vegas worth bringing back. The earlier games were part of a Rainbow Six period that placed the series in a more accessible action-oriented setting. A new game could lean into that identity, connect it more closely to the wider Rainbow Six universe, or use the name as a foundation for something substantially different. At this stage, all three possibilities remain open.
The reported involvement of Ubisoft Montreal may also draw attention because the studio is linked to the original project’s publisher and is said by IGN to be working on several Rainbow Six-related efforts. Even so, the source does not specify the team composition, production status, creative leadership, technology, or relationship between Spades and any other reported project. Players should avoid treating the Montreal connection as evidence of a particular design direction.
There is also no basis yet for assuming that the reported game will be a single-player campaign, a cooperative title, a competitive multiplayer game, or a combination of those formats. The Vegas name may suggest certain expectations among longtime fans, but those expectations are not evidence of Ubisoft’s current plans. Until the publisher provides details, the safest reading is that Spades is an early, unannounced project with a broad and undefined identity.
What remains unknown and worth watching
Ubisoft has not supplied, within the source record, a public title for the project. It is therefore unknown whether the game will be called Rainbow Six: Vegas 3, use another title, or drop the Vegas name entirely. IGN says its sources expect something closer to a new installment than a remake, but that does not settle the naming question.
There is no confirmed release date or launch window. IGN’s report indicates that the project is likely several years from release, but it does not provide a specific year. Platforms are also unconfirmed, as are details about performance targets, online services, accessibility features, monetization, and whether the game will be sold as a premium release or use another model. None of those points should be inferred from the earlier games.
The next useful evidence would be an official announcement from Ubisoft, a title reveal, or a statement describing the project’s intended format. A first trailer or gameplay presentation could clarify whether Spades is built around a campaign, cooperative missions, competitive modes, or a combination. Information about the reported second Rainbow Six-related project would also help show whether Ubisoft is planning a broader expansion of the franchise beyond Siege.
Players should also watch for confirmation of which Ubisoft team is responsible, since the current information only identifies Ubisoft Montreal as the reported developer. A formal announcement could establish whether the project is actively in production, still in early planning, or subject to change. Until then, IGN’s report is best treated as an indication of Ubisoft’s reported plans rather than a full announcement.
IGN points to Rainbow Six Tactics as another Ubisoft project announced in August, with a release planned for the following year. The source does not provide additional details about its platforms or gameplay in this report. IGN also notes that a Splinter Cell remake is in development, although it says there has been a long gap since substantial news about that project.
Those projects provide context for Ubisoft’s broader pipeline, but they do not confirm anything about Spades. The reported Vegas project remains separate from Rainbow Six Tactics in the available information, and no relationship between the two has been established. For now, the most relevant takeaway for Vegas fans is limited but significant: a new entry has reportedly been approved at Ubisoft Montreal, yet nearly every detail that would define the game is still to come.