Games

Outrage as new Rainbow Six operator bio references Christchurch, New Zealand shooting

BBG News

Whether it be a terrible coincidence or a horrible oversight, it’s a bad look for Ubisoft.

A number of Rainbow Six enthusiasts have voiced their displeasure and anger regarding the latest addition to the game’s roster, the operator hailing from New Zealand named Rauora.

On February 16, Rauora was unveiled as the 75th operator in a series of seasonal announcements. However, people quickly scrutinized the operator’s background, finding allusions to one of New Zealand’s most grim periods, which some considered “insensitive.

“Who signed off on this?” Rauora’s bio panned by Kiwi R6 fans

During the Year 10 announcements post the Six Invitational, Ubisoft unveiled a sneak peek at Rauora, a New Zealander attacker introducing numerous fresh gadgets and firearms. However, it’s not this new character that has gamers irked.

Apart from her gear, Ubisoft also disclosed Rauora’s operator profile details, such as her supposed birthplace, Christchurch, and birthdate – March 15th. This date is significant for New Zealanders, tragically associated with the Christchurch mosque shootings that occurred six years ago on March 15th. On this day, 51 individuals lost their lives, and 89 more were injured in a series of attacks across various locations within Christchurch.

As a gamer, I was taken aback when I learned that Ubisoft decided to incorporate Christchurch and the date of March 15 into the biography of a character in their game, Rauora. This choice left me bewildered and frustrated because it brings back painful memories of one of New Zealand’s darkest days, a racially-charged mass shooting that shook the nation to its core. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has referred to this incident as one of our country’s most tragic events. It’s hard for me to understand why Ubisoft would make such a decision that could potentially upset many Rainbow Six fans, myself included.

One individual posted on Twitter, “You picked the anniversary of New Zealand’s most tragic mass shooting as the birth date for a character? Who makes such decisions?” Similarly, others voiced their unease on the Christchurch Reddit page about this matter.

Some found the bio so obvious that they considered it a humorous attempt by the writer, while others attributed it to carelessness or a last-minute intern who failed to verify the bio details. Still others speculate that Ubisoft may have relied on AI for writing the biography, neglecting to cross-check the information, or wonder why a language model would suggest such a coincidental location and date.

This person has been playing the game since it first came out and was thrilled about the announcement of a Māori operator today. However, they are puzzled by Ubisoft choosing March 15 as Rauora’s birth date, thinking that AI might have been involved in the decision-making process since Ubisoft seems to have redirected their staff towards the launch of Siege X.

On the official Rainbow Six Siege website, there is a comprehensive biography that incorporates elements of Kiwi and Māori culture. However, fans speculate that the birth details might be inaccurate, and they are hoping for a correction. Regardless, this issue has created a negative impression, significantly dampening the spirits of many New Zealand Rainbow Six Siege players.

In my gaming world, I’ve reached out to both Ubisoft Global and Ubisoft ANZ, hoping for a word or two, but alas, they were silent as a mouse in a library when this article went live.

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2025-02-17 16:10

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