Rainbow Six Siege Co-Development

Arctic7’s European studio, led by industry veteran Kedhrin Gonzalez, brings specialized expertise in tactical shooter architecture. Our team’s history with Rainbow Six Siege highlights our ability to deliver technical level design that harmonizes with complex AI and high-fidelity destruction mechanics—core pillars of the modern AAA experience. Exploring Arctic 7’s deep-rooted expertise in AAA FPS development through our work on Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege. Today, we take a moment to delve into one such story with Kedhrin Gonzalez, our Studio Head at A7 Europe Studio. Before shaping the visions here at Arctic7 (A7), Kedhrin was an instrumental force behind the development of Rainbow Six Siege during his tenure at Sperasoft, collaborating closely with Ubisoft Montreal. From crafting dynamic levels to designing unique operators, he was deeply entrenched in the game's evolution. Join us as we explore the challenges, triumphs, and invaluable insights from his rich experience in the world of game development.

The Impact of Co-Development on Rainbow Six Siege

In the world of AAA game development, scaling a project as massive as Rainbow Six Siege requires more than just extra hands; it requires seamless integration. Our team at A7 Europe, led by Kedhrin Gonzalez, specialized in Level Design (PvP) and Live-Ops seasonal events. By implementing a "Grey-boxing" methodology early in the pipeline, we were able to iterate on tactical layouts and environmental destruction—a core pillar of the Siege experience—ensuring that level geometry evolved alongside Ubisoft Montreal’s advancing AI. Our Europe Studio continues to build on this legacy, offering publishers a dedicated hub for high-end co-development and live-ops support.

Felix: Kedhrin, to set the foundation, can you detail your involvement with Rainbow Six Siege?

Kedhrin: "Certainly. During my time with Sperasoft, I transitioned from a level designer to a senior level designer, and ultimately took on the mantle of lead level designer for Rainbow Six Siege. I was mostly involved with the multiplayer components of the game, PvP (player vs player)."

Felix: Could you elaborate on your responsibilities in these roles?

Kedhrin: "When I was a senior level designer, I was working very closely with the multiplayer team. My main tasks revolved around creating levels for their season releases. Each season introduced a new level, and I created two of these personally. Later on, as lead level designer, I was given a different challenge: a seasonal event, which stood out due to its heavily scripted coop focus, as opposed to the regular multiplayer-centric design."

Felix: Talk to us about the design methodology. How did you bring these levels to life?

Kedhrin: "The process began on paper, literally, drawings on pieces of paper. Once we had our initial design ideas, we'd move onto 'Grey-boxing,' which meant defining the actual playable space. Since the games A.I. at the time was in its early days, there was an element of unpredictability we had to deal with. This is standard on projects like these, it’s something I’m used to. This is also when we started heavily collaborating with the Ubisoft Montreal team."

Felix: Speaking of Ubisoft, what was it like collaborating with Montreal studio?

Kedhrin: "Our engagement with Montreal was intense and rewarding. Our initial designs often spurred deep gameplay theories. With every advancement in the A.I. that Montreal implemented, our level designs had to update and remain adaptive. We had to make sure the art and design teams were always on the same page. We had a lot of autonomy which I believe is a testament to the trust we had fostered.”

Felix: To wrap things up, under which banner did all this happen?

Kedhrin: "This journey unfolded while I was at Sparesoft. We had the privilege to co-develop Rainbow Six Siege in tandem with Ubisoft Montreal. And thankfully, many of those team members are with me today, here at Arctic7. Several members from that project, from the engineering to QA teams, are now integral parts of A7 Europe, my studio."

Q: How has Rainbow Six Siege project impacted your management style and approach in subsequent projects?

Kedhrin:

Scaling Technical FPS Pipelines

Our co-development model for Rainbow Six Siege centered on Parallel Iteration. While Ubisoft Montreal advanced the core AI, our team managed the evolution of environmental destruction.

• Grey-boxing: Rapidly defining tactical spaces to test sightlines and "destruction flow" before high-poly assets are produced.
• Nav-Mesh Synchronization: Ensuring AI navigation remained fluid even as players dynamically altered the environment.
• Technical ROI: Reducing production bottlenecks by decoupling level art from mechanical validation.f

Key Takeaways from Kedhrins interview:

• In Kedhrin's journey, he climbed the ladder from a level designer, then onto senior, and finally became the lead level designer. But hey, remember, each gaming studio might have its own way of doing things.
• Ever wonder how levels come to life? Kedhrin and his team first doodled their ideas on paper. Then, they stepped into the 'greybox' stage to carve out the actual gaming space, after the gaming space is further defined, they move towards polishing assets and lighting.  
• Here's a fun fact: while one team was deep into level design, another group was busy crafting the AI for characters. And guess what? Success in tactical FPS design requires a Technical Level Design approach where AI navigation meshes and destructible environments are developed in parallel. Our team’s agility ensures that technical hurdles in AI don't stall the creative pipeline, maintaining a steady ROI for our partners. This rigorous approach to tactical architecture is a standard across all our game development and engineering services, where performance and player agency are prioritized.
• When devs from different studios sync up perfectly in a co-development gig, sounds like it’s a gratifying experience. Less stress, more creativity, and everyone's in their groove.

While Rainbow Six Siege showcases our expertise in tactical shooters, our broader Game Development capabilities extend across VR, PC, and Console platforms, offering partners a full-cycle solution from concept to gold.

Our background in high-fidelity titles like Siege informs our Virtual Production workflows, where real-time technology meets cinematic storytelling for global IPs like Star Wars and Marvel.

Managing the technical debt of a live-service game requires robust infrastructure. Learn how our A7 Digital division supports the operational side of gaming and entertainment.