Ubisoft and BLAST Launch Rainbow Six Siege 2026 Season Kickoff Event

Rainbow Six Siege's Year 11 competitive calendar got its sharpest structural overhaul in recent memory when Ubisoft and BLAST formally launched the BLAST R6 Kickoff 2026 on March 23. The Season Kickoff is the new opening stage for Tier 1 teams, delivering a fast-paced test that awards SI Points, May Major slots, and a prize pool. There is no warmup period built in: every match counts, and a strong start can set the trajectory for the entire season.

Between late March and April, teams all around the globe will compete in their home regions to qualify for the first international event of the calendar, the BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City. The S-Tier tournament, organized by BLAST and Ubisoft, will take place from May 8 to 17 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, featuring 20 teams. That expanded field of 20 is itself significant: the expansion from 16 to 20 rosters happened because of the creation of the CN League, which is China's top flight. For the first time in the history of Rainbow Six Siege, teams from China have a route to qualify for an international Major.

Three top-flight leagues consist of eight teams, including the APAC North League, the Asia League, and the Oceania League, and these three competitions will not have a group phase; instead, they will have a playoff bracket. The remaining four leagues, the North America League (NAL), South America League (SAL), Europe and MENA League (EML), and CN League (CNL), each run with ten teams. The NAL Kickoff starts with a group stage of two groups following a round robin format, with every group stage match played as a Best of 1, and the first four teams of each group advance to the NAL Kickoff Playoffs. Teams who top their group stage standings will be one win away from qualifying for the BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City, while fourth seeds drop into the Lower Bracket immediately.

Playoff matches across the board carry more weight: according to Ubisoft, "Each match played in the Playoffs will be a Best Of 3," and "The first 4 teams present for the Upper and Lower Finals will be qualified for the Salt Lake City BLAST R6 May Major." The two best teams from Asia and the best from APAC North and Oceania each will qualify for Salt Lake City. Weibo Gaming's performance in Year 10 allowed the BLAST R6 Asia League 2026 to have an extra BLAST R6 Major spot, meaning two teams from Asia's top flight will qualify for Salt Lake City.

The regional windows are already underway. APL North Kickoff matches are played every Friday at 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00 JST from March 27 to April 24, spanning five playdays. Asia Kickoff matches run every Saturday at 15:00, 18:00 and 21:00 SGT from March 28 to April 25. Oceania Kickoff matches run every Sunday at 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00 AEST from March 29 to April 26. In South America, SAL Kickoff Playoffs matches are scheduled for April 12, 14, 18 and 19 across four playdays, while EML Kickoff Playoffs matches run at 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00 ET from April 13 to April 17. NAL Playoffs run April 1 through 10.

Beyond Major spots, it is worth noting that Kickoff will also award teams with SI Points, though given Kickoff's limited format, the amount of SI Points distributed is significantly less than what will be awarded across Stage 1 and Stage 2. Those points feed directly into the Six Invitational 2027 qualification race, making every bracket result matter beyond just the immediate Salt Lake City berth.

The BLAST R6 Season 2026/27 promises a full year of global competition, beginning with the Challenger Series and culminating in the Six Invitational 2027, with teams competing through the Season Kickoff, Regional Leagues, two Majors, the Esports World Cup, and Last Chance Qualifiers to earn SI Points and secure their place at the world championship. The second Major of the year is set to be played in Japan in November 2026, though its exact location has yet to be unveiled. Every match of the R6 Kickoff 2026 will be broadcast on the official R6 channel on Twitch.