I’ve been playing Rainbow Six Siege on and off for six years, and I still see new players posting in community forums every week confused about why they can’t join a game, or why they get kicked before the first round even starts. Most of these issues don’t come from bad gameplay, they come from not knowing the small, unwritten steps to get into a match without hiccups. Whether you’re jumping into your first casual game or testing the waters of ranked play, learning how to start a match in rainbow six siege is the first step to enjoying one of the most tactical competitive shooters out there. You don’t need fancy gear or top-tier aim to get this right, just a little bit of prep and awareness of how the game’s queue system works.
Step-by-Step: How to Start a Match in Rainbow Six Siege Core Modes
Once you’ve logged in and completed any pending game updates, you’ll land on the main home screen with a large “Play” button in the top left corner. Click that, and you’ll see a menu of all available game modes, split into casual, ranked, custom, and event-specific options. If you’re below level 50, you’ll also have access to New Recruit mode, which is only for new players and has more forgiving rules to help you learn the basics without getting stomped by veteran players.
Pick the mode that fits your skill level and goals, then choose whether you want to queue solo, with friends, or with random teammates. If you’re playing with friends, send them an invite through the in-game friends list first, and make sure everyone has their cross-play preferences set to match if you’re playing across PC and console. Once everyone is in the lobby, hit the “Find Match” button to enter the queue.
If you want to start a custom match instead of a public queue, you’ll select the “Custom Game” option from the play menu, set your own rules for round time, operator bans, and map selection, then invite friends or open the lobby to public players. Custom matches are great for practicing specific strategies or messing around with friends without affecting your ranked MMR. You can even set up private 1v1 lobbies to practice aim duels with friends if you want to sharpen your skills before jumping into public games.
Pre-Queue Prep You Shouldn’t Skip Before Launching a Match
Too many new players hit the “Find Match” button immediately after logging in, and then run into problems when the queue pops. Taking two minutes to get set up before you queue will save you a lot of frustration later, and even help you win your first round. You don’t have to do a full warmup routine unless you want to, but these small steps make a huge difference.
Here’s the short list of pre-queue checks I run every time I log in, even after years of play:
- Double-check your controller or mouse sensitivity settings if you’ve adjusted them recently, as misaligned sensitivity will throw off your aim the second you spawn
- Save custom loadouts for your top 3 attack and top 3 defense operators so you don’t waste pre-round time fumbling with attachment menus
- Toggle your mic to push-to-talk if you’re playing in public lobbies to avoid background noise bothering teammates before the match even starts
It’s also a good idea to check if you have any active challenges you want to complete before you pick your mode. Some challenges only apply to casual or ranked play, so you don’t want to queue for the wrong mode and waste 20 minutes playing games that don’t count toward your reward. If you’re trying to unlock a new operator, make sure you’re playing modes that give you the most renown per hour too.
Many new players skip saving custom loadouts because they don’t think it matters, but the 15 seconds you spend picking attachments during pre-round is time you could be using to set up defenses or scout the map with a drone. I’ve seen hundreds of rounds lost because a player was still in the loadout menu when the round started, and got picked off immediately by an enemy roaming player.
What to Do After the Match Queue Pops and Loading Ends
When the queue pops, you’ll get a 10-second timer to accept the match. Don’t panic if you’re in the middle of grabbing a drink or replying to a text, but don’t wait until the last second to hit accept either. If you miss the accept window three times in a row, you’ll get a temporary queue ban that lasts 10 minutes, and longer if you keep missing pops. I learned this the hard way a few years back when I kept stepping away from my desk mid-queue, and ended up locked out of playing for an hour right when my friend group was getting online.
Once everyone accepts, the game will load the map and move to the operator pick phase. You’ll see a 30-second operator pick phase timer at the top of the screen, and you’ll be able to see which operators your teammates are hovering over. Don’t lock in an operator immediately, especially if you’re playing ranked, because another teammate might already main that operator and have way more experience with them. Hover your pick first to let your team know what you’re thinking, then lock in once you’re sure no one else needs that operator.
Pay attention to role-based team composition when you pick too. If you’re on defense and no one has picked an operator with impact grenades or a hard breacher counter, pick that role instead of going for another roaming operator. If you’re on attack and no one has picked a hard breacher like Thermite or Hibana, you’ll struggle to get past reinforced walls later in the round. You don’t have to be perfect at the role, but filling the gap makes your team way more likely to win.
After you lock in your operator, pick your gadgets and spawn point immediately. Don’t wait until the last second, because the game will randomize your gadgets if you don’t pick them in time, and you might end up with a frag grenade when you needed a claymore. If you’re playing attack, pick a spawn point that’s far away from the objective if you’re playing a slow operator, or closer if you’re playing a fast roamer that wants to push early.
Common Mistakes That Derail Your Match Before It Even Starts
Even if you follow all the steps above, you might still run into issues if you make these common new player mistakes. Most of these are easy to avoid once you know they exist, and they’ll save you a lot of reports and temporary bans if you fix them early.
One of the biggest mistakes I see new players make is leaving the game during the loading screen or operator pick phase. If you leave before the first round starts, you’ll still get a leave penalty, and your team will be down a player for the entire match. If you realize you have to leave for an emergency, let your team know in chat first, but try to only queue when you have 20 to 30 minutes free to play the full match.
Another common mistake is ignoring the ban phase in ranked play. Once you hit level 50 and unlock ranked, you’ll get a 10-second window to ban one operator per team. Don’t ban a random operator just for fun, especially if a teammate already said they need that operator for their main role. If you don’t know who to ban, ask your team for suggestions, or ban a common overpowered operator like Azami or Ace that most teams struggle to counter.
You also don’t want to spam chat or voice chat during the pick phase with irrelevant noise. Most players are focused on picking their operator and planning their strategy, so save the jokes for after the match if you’re playing with randoms. If you have a strategy you want to suggest, keep it short and clear, like “I’ll hard breach main wall, someone bring a smoke” instead of typing a long paragraph that no one has time to read.
At the end of the day, learning how to start a match in rainbow six siege is about more than just clicking a few buttons. It’s about setting yourself up for success before the round even starts, so you can focus on playing the game instead of fixing avoidable mistakes. You don’t have to follow every single tip here to have fun, but even implementing one or two of them will make your queuing experience way smoother, and help you win more rounds when you get into the game. Next time you log in, take that extra two minutes to set up your loadouts and check your settings before you queue, and you’ll notice the difference immediately.
