If you’re a new PC gamer gearing up to jump into the fast-paced, tactical world of Rainbow Six Siege, you’ve probably scrolled through your Steam library wishlist more than once and wondered can you get rainbow six siege on steam. It’s a super common question, especially since Ubisoft has shifted between keeping titles exclusive to its own launcher and listing them on Steam over the last decade. I’ve been playing Siege on PC for almost 7 years, switching from Ubisoft Connect to Steam back in 2021, so I know all the ins and outs of getting the game running on the platform, what hidden limitations you might run into, and whether buying it on Steam is actually worth it for your playstyle.
Can You Get Rainbow Six Siege on Steam?
The short, straightforward answer is yes, Rainbow Six Siege has been available for purchase and play on Steam since its original launch back in 2015. All editions of the game, from the base Standard Edition to the premium Ultimate Edition that includes all operators released to date, are listed on the Steam store for most regions around the world. You don’t need any special access or invite to buy it, it’s available to any user with a valid Steam account.
All Steam purchases of Rainbow Six Siege are full, legitimate copies of the game, with no differences in core gameplay, available operators, maps, or ranked modes compared to copies bought directly from Ubisoft Connect. You get access to all the same seasonal content, battle passes, and in-game events no matter which platform you buy it on, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything if you go the Steam route.
You do not need a separate Ubisoft Connect purchase to play if you buy the game on Steam, though you will still need a free Ubisoft account to launch and play the game. That’s a non-negotiable requirement for all versions of Siege on PC, even if you buy it through a third-party store like Steam or Epic Games Store. The Ubisoft account system handles all your in-game progress, rank, skin unlocks, and cross-play functionality, so it’s required to run the game no matter where you bought it.
The only exception to Steam availability is for users in a small handful of regions where Ubisoft has restricted sales of the game on third-party platforms for regulatory reasons. If you don’t see Siege pop up when you search for it on the Steam store, you can check Ubisoft’s regional support page to see if there are any local restrictions that apply to your area.
Step-by-Step Process to Install R6 Siege on Steam
Installing Siege on Steam is a pretty straightforward process, but there are a few key steps you don’t want to skip to avoid losing progress or running into linking errors later on. I’ve walked dozens of my friends through this process when they first started playing, so this is the exact workflow I recommend following:
- Search for "Rainbow Six Siege" in the Steam store, then select the edition that fits your budget and needs. If you’re a brand new player, the Standard Edition is usually more than enough, but the Deluxe Edition that includes all Year 1 and Year 2 operators can save you dozens of hours of grinding for renown to unlock them.
- Purchase the game through Steam’s secure checkout system, then navigate to your Steam library once the purchase is confirmed. The game will automatically be added to your permanent library as soon as the payment goes through.
- Click the "Install" button next to Rainbow Six Siege in your library, then select which drive you want to install the game on. The initial download is around 75GB, so make sure you have enough free space before you start the install.
- Launch the game from your Steam library once the initial Steam download is complete. This will automatically open Ubisoft Connect (or prompt you to install it if you don’t already have it on your PC) and ask you to log into or create a free Ubisoft account.
- Link your Ubisoft account to your Steam account when the pop-up prompt appears. This step only happens the first time you launch the game, and it permanently ties your Siege copy to both accounts.
- Wait for any additional Ubisoft Connect updates to finish installing, then you’re ready to jump into a match. You can launch the game directly from Steam any time after that, no extra steps required.
Make sure you log into the correct Ubisoft account when linking, as you can't unlink the accounts and transfer the game later without going through a long, complicated support process. If you already have existing Siege progress on a Ubisoft account from playing on console or Ubisoft Connect, make sure you log into that exact same account during the linking step to carry all your rank, skins, and unlocks over to the Steam version. I’ve seen multiple friends lose hundreds of dollars worth of limited edition skins because they accidentally linked the game to a throwaway Ubisoft account they made years ago, so double check your login details before you click confirm.
Pros and Cons of Playing Rainbow Six Siege on Steam
Now that you know you can get Siege on Steam, you’re probably wondering if it’s actually better than buying it directly from Ubisoft Connect. I’ve used both versions extensively over the years, so here’s a breakdown of the biggest pros and cons to help you decide:
The biggest pros of the Steam version all tie back to Steam’s core features that a lot of PC gamers already use daily. The Steam overlay works seamlessly with Siege, so you can access your friends list, take screenshots, use Steam’s built-in streaming tools, or check community guides without having to alt-tab out of the game. That’s a huge plus if you like to stream your matches or coordinate with friends who only use Steam for communication.
If you use Steam’s Family Share feature, you can share your Siege copy with up to 5 other household members who use their own Steam accounts, as long as you’re not playing the game at the same time. That’s a great perk if you have family or roommates who want to try out the game without buying their own copy first. You also get access to exclusive Steam achievements for Siege, and your playtime counts towards your Steam profile stats if you care about tracking that.
On the downside, you still have to run Ubisoft Connect in the background to play Siege even if you launch it from Steam, so you don’t get to ditch the second launcher entirely. That’s a common complaint from a lot of PC gamers who hate having multiple launchers running at once, but it’s a requirement for all Ubisoft games on PC no matter where you buy them.
Another small downside is that Steam updates for Siege sometimes roll out a few hours later than Ubisoft Connect updates, so you might have to wait a bit longer to play right after a new seasonal patch drops. I’ve only run into this issue 3 or 4 times over the last 3 years, so it’s not a huge problem, but it’s something to be aware of if you always want to play new content the second it comes out.
All in-game purchases like battle passes and skins work the same across both platforms, so you don't have to rebuy anything if you switch from Ubisoft Connect to Steam. As long as you link the same Ubisoft account, all your existing purchases will carry over automatically, no extra steps required. If you get banned from Siege for cheating or toxic behavior, the ban applies to both your Ubisoft account and linked Steam account, so you can't bypass it by switching launchers. Ubisoft’s anti-cheat system tracks bans across all linked platforms, so you won’t be able to get around a permanent ban by buying the game again on Steam with the same Ubisoft account.
Common Issues With R6 Siege on Steam and How to Fix Them
While the Steam version of Siege is mostly stable, there are a few common issues that new players run into when they first set it up. Most of these are super easy to fix on your own without having to contact support, so here are the solutions I’ve used dozens of times for my own games and for friends:
The most common issue people run into is a linking error that says your Ubisoft account is already linked to another Steam account. This almost always happens if you made a throwaway Steam account years ago and linked your Ubisoft account to it to try out a free Ubisoft game, and forgot about it. If this happens, you can either log into that old Steam account to play the game, or reach out to Ubisoft support to request an account unlink. The process usually takes 2-3 business days, and you’ll need to provide proof of ownership for both accounts to get it approved.
If the game crashes immediately when you try to launch it from Steam, the first thing you should do is verify your game files. Right click on Rainbow Six Siege in your Steam library, select "Properties", go to the "Installed Files" tab, then click "Verify integrity of game files". This will scan for any corrupted or missing game files and replace them automatically, which fixes around 90% of launch crashes. I do this every time after a big patch to make sure I don’t run into crashes mid-match.
If you notice that your friends on Ubisoft Connect are already playing a new patch but you don’t have the update available on Steam, just restart your Steam client. Sometimes Steam takes a little while to push new updates to all users, and a quick restart will usually make the update show up immediately. If it still doesn’t show up after a restart, you can check the Siege community hub on Steam to see if other users are reporting the same delay, which usually means it’s a widespread issue that will be fixed within a few hours.
If you log into the game and all your skins, rank, and operator unlocks are missing, that almost always means you logged into the wrong Ubisoft account during the linking step. Just close the game, open Ubisoft Connect manually, log out of the current account, then log into the Ubisoft account that has your existing progress on it. When you launch the game from Steam again, it will automatically connect to the right account and restore all your progress.
Never share your account login details with anyone claiming to help fix linking issues, as most of these people are scammers looking to steal your account. Ubisoft support will never ask you for your password, so if anyone reaches out to you offering to fix your account for a fee, ignore them and only use the official Ubisoft support website for help.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you get rainbow six siege on steam is a definite yes, and it’s a great option for anyone who prefers to keep all their PC games organized in one central library. If you’re already a long-time Ubisoft Connect user with all your games there, there’s not much reason to switch unless you really care about Steam achievements or the overlay, but if you’re a brand new player buying the game for the first time, the Steam version is just as good as the Ubisoft Connect version in almost every way. I’ve been using the Steam version for 3 years now, and the only real issue I’ve run into is the occasional update delay, which is a tiny tradeoff for having all my games in one place. If you have any other questions about getting Siege set up on Steam, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
