Ubisoft Rainbow Six Extraction Art Blast

By Daniel Wade - January 31, 2022

A WORLD OF MYSTERY

In Extraction, our players are facing a threat they don’t yet understand: the Chimera Parasite. What is this “sprawl”, rapidly spreading throughout the Containment Zones? What are the large, chitinous spikes emerging from the ground? And what are these Archean manifestations that we’re facing-off against? Well, we didn’t want to spoon-feed our players all the answers. We wanted the player to be intrigued enough to discover the Parasite, the dark sprawl it generates, the spikes of carapace and, of course, our Archæans. We wanted enemies that the player would meet for the first time and question themselves on what exactly was going on here….How was the Parasite able to move from Truth or Consequence and invade these other locations? Why these sites first? Players, through their incursions into containment, will uncover those stories, and just how much has changed since the initial Outbreak event. Our goal for Extraction’s art direction was that it would be just as much about posing questions as answering them.

CONTAINMENT ZONES

Following the Outbreak events, four new emergence sites occurred in separate regions of North America. The Rainbow Exogenous Analysis and Containment Team (REACT) moved quickly to contain each of these, erecting walls and reinforcements to protect the world from another parasitic outbreak. These Containment Zones were turned into REACT’s own laboratories.
New York’s urban silhouette is the backdrop for the first three Containment Zones; and the iconic Statue of Liberty has been cleaved in half and decapitated. San Francisco’s city center and outlying areas are equally affected, thrown into chaos in another three Containment Zones. The cold not being an issue apparently, the Parasite took a turn northward into Alaska, nearly extinguishing a sleepy fishing and mining village in that state. But it’s in Truth or Consequence, the epicenter of the initial Outbreak event, that the Parasite has done the most damage; a re-emergence that will change the New Mexican landscape forever.

The world team did a wonderful job detailing these regions, telling the story of what happened in these places and creating immersive and living settings. We kept the colors relatively muted, kicking it up a notch here and there where it was needed, for variety and navigation. The same can be said about the coloration imbued by our lighting. In general, we used a lot of long shadow for an extra dramatic, unsettling mood. Time of day evolves as players approach the later maps; getting darker and more ominous from one location to another, a subtle detail that we hope reinforces the tone and threat delivered by the game.

We wanted to submerge the Containment Zones in parasitic dust and spores, so squads would feel themselves entering and disturbing living ecosystems. We used a lot of fog and floating debris to make sure players always feel the pressure and presence of the Parasite. Those effects are also amped-up as players advance into the later regions.

REACT

REACT was formed to contain the threat and study the biofilm and Archæan manifestations, to the best of their capabilities. Made up of some of the best-suited Rainbow Six Operators, they answer the call to take on this new potentially global challenge. REACT has had to come up with a whole new arsenal of weaponry and gadgets to help the Operators subdue, capture, and study the Archæans, while keeping the parasite contained.

The team was successful in taking known and loved Operators and giving them a new look and loadout, better suited to the context of Extraction. Gadgets use very clean lines and refined design to bring the high-tech feel we wanted to match to the grounded, sci-fi fantasy. Finesse was the key in balancing modelling and material details. The team did a fantastic job.
Materials established a more medical, technical look and feel with hermetic, glossy surfaces, masks, and adapted devices, but was also inspired by modern sportswear to project Operator’s dexterity and frequent need for a quiet, stealthy approach. It gives them a more modern look and a distinct identity with the yellow and dark blue REACT color scheme. Look out for some of the white, medically inspired BDUs (Battle Dress Uniforms) unlocked at higher levels too. I know players will also enjoy some of the customizations in the game, and some we’re bringing moving forward!

COLOR OPPOSITION

It was decided early in the process that we would be using color opposition in our game to make it distinct and unique. REACT’s yellow and blue signature were used everywhere on the characters, gadgets, environments and is present in the sharp UI the team delivered. The yellow brings the punch we need, and the blue is used to balance it beautifully. We then use black and white as accent colours to create a clear, but varied pallet. “Safety Yellow” was appropriately coined, serving as a sign for refuge and protection for the player, guiding them to safe zones and gear within each Containment Zone.

THE CHIMERA

The Chimera Parasite’s principal form is in the biofilm “sprawl” that emerges from nests and spreads throughout the map, especially when alerted to the Operator’s presence. The Archæans are like parasitic “antibodies”, used to defend itself from any threat, which happens to be you. They lie mostly dormant, idling in or roaming about the environment, with slight twitches and spasms that indicate that, although humanoid, they’re definitely not human.

We created several surfaces and new material to showcase the various forms the Parasite can take, from its viscous, liquid sprawl to the solid carapace spires seen from a distance. The pattern of veins and transparent interstitial tissues in the sprawl required a lot of testing and are used almost everywhere within the Archæan ecosystem. The colorations for the Archæans themselves are a derivation of the biofilm, so everything appears as part of one single species or organism.

Bioluminescence was used to help players identify vulnerabilities in the Archæans, and the carapace structure that protects them. To see the bioluminescence, players have to use their REACT light, a technology that uses a specific range in the UV spectrum to bring a telling glow to the Archæans hidden in the dark, making them better targets for you and your squad mates. Our character team did a tremendous job modelling and texturing the beautiful concepts that our artists made, truly bringing them to life in the game.

I would like to thank ArtStation for helping us showcase some of the beautiful work done by the talented teams at Ubisoft Montreal, Bucharest, Bordeaux, Saguenay and Belgrade on Rainbow Six Extraction. All of this would not have been possible without their creativity, dedication, and attention to detail. More is yet to come, which we’ll be excited to share with you soon….
My heartfelt thanks and respect go out to this incredible team; it has been a distinct honor and pleasure to work hand-in-hand with you on this project.

Dany Gilbert
Art Director, Rainbow Six Extraction
Ubisoft Montreal

Ubisoft Montreal

Art Direction

Pascal Caplette – Assistant Art Director Visual Conception

Pascal Caplette – Assistant Art Director Visual Conception – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Concept Artists

Filipe Aguiar – Concept Artist

Filipe Aguiar – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Gabriel Van De Walle – Concept Artist

Gabriel Van De Walle – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Kevin Macio – Concept Artist

Kevin Macio – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Patricia Duong – Concept Artist

Patricia Duong – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Thibaut Désiront – Concept Artist

Thibaut Désiront – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Vincent Hill – Concept Artist

Vincent Hill – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Virgile Loth – Concept Artist

Virgile Loth – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Jarrard Lee – Concept Artist

Jarrard Lee – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Remko Troost – Senior Concept Artist

Remko Troost – Senior Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Rajdeep Choudhury – Concept Artist

Rajdeep Choudhury – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Character Artists

Brendon Bauman – Character Modeler

Brendon Bauman – Character Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Michael Tu – Character Modeler

Michael Tu – Character Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Ludovic Pinard – Character Modeler

Ludovic Pinard – Character Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Vincent McCrindle – Character Modeler

Vincent McCrindle – Character Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction

3D Artists

Kevin Turenne – Senior 3D Artist

Kevin Turenne – Senior Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Alexandre Leger – 3D Artist

Alexandre Leger – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Annie-Claude Bergeron – 3D Artist

Annie-Claude Bergeron – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

David Naud – 3D Artist

David Naud – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Joanne Yau – 3D Artist

Joanne Yau – Modeler – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Kristina Charette – 3D Artist

Kristina Charette – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Maryse Duckett – 3D Artist

Kristina Charette – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Nathan Proudlove – 3D Artist

Nathan Proudlove – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Simon Peloquin – 3D Artist

Simon Peloquin – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Vincent Bourgault – 3D Artist

Vincent Bourgault – 3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Sébastien Clermont-Petit – 2D/3D Artist

Sébastien Clermont-Petit – 2D/3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Nicolas Crevier – 2D/3D Artist

Nicolas Crevier – 2D/3D Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Texture Artist

Simon Tartar – Texture Artist

Simon Tartar – Texture Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Graphic Designers

David Whiddon – World Graphic Design Team Lead

David Whiddon – World Graphic Design Team Lead – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montrealjm nbhb

David Whiddon – World Graphic Design Team Lead – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Level Artists

Alexandra Belair-Leclerc – Level Artist

Alexandra Belair-Leclerc – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Bianka Boisvert – Level Artist

Bianka Boisvert – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Brian Harries – Level Artist

Brian Harries – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Emi Takeshita – Level Artist

Emi Takeshita – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Jessyca Lemire Bertrand – Level Artist

Jessyca Lemire Bertrand – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Marc Meyer – Level Artist

Marc Meyer – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Tyler Haider – Level Artist

Tyler Haider – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

André Paré – Level Artist

André Paré – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Lighting Artists

Corentin Wunsche – Senior Lighting Artist

Corentin Wunsche – Senior Lighting Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Dobri Vassilev – Lighting Artist

Dobri Vassilev – Lighting Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Dominique Alarie – Lighting Artist

Dominique Alarie – Lighting Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal

Peter Tran – Lighting Artist

Peter Tran – Lighting Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction

Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Creative Director

Fabien Troncal – Creative Director

Fabien Troncal – Creative Director – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Art Director

Tonton Revolver – Visual Development Art Director

Tonton Revolver – Visual Development Art Director – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Graphic Design

Eve Berthelette – Graphic Team Lead

Eve Berthelette – Graphic Team Lead – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Illustrators

Camille Fache – Illustrator

Camille Fache – Illustrator – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Tarcisio Ferreira – Illustrator

Tarcisio Ferreira – Illustrator – Rainbow6 Extraction – Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Ubisoft Bucharest & Belgrade

Lead Artists

Dimitrije Lovrincevic – Associate Lead Artist

Dimitrije Lovrincevic – Associate Lead Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Milos Vranes – Associate Lead Artist

Milos Vranes – Associate Lead Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Concept Artists

Cosmin Genete – Concept Artist

Cosmin Genete – Concept Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Environment Artists

Stefan Stinga – Senior Environment Artist

Stefan Stinga – Senior Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Catalin Dumitriu – Environment Artist

Catalin Dumitriu – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Claudia Gutu – Environment Artist

Claudia Gutu – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Cosmin Panfil – Environment Artist

Cosmin Panfil – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Dan Stanescu – Environment Artist

Dan Stanescu – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Daniel Vasilescu – Environment Artist

Daniel Vasilescu – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Florin Bîşcă – Environment Artist

Florin Bîşcă – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Laurentiu Sisu – Environment Artist

Laurentiu Sisu – Environment Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Bucharest

Level Artists

Dusan Jovicic – Level Artist

Dusan Jovicic – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Damir Ambrisak – Level Artist

Damir Ambrisak – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Lazar Krstic – Level Artist

Lazar Krstic – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Pavle Kostic – Level Artist

Pavle Kostic – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Vladimir Turčan – Level Artist

Vladimir Turčan – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Stefan Lukic – Level Artist

Stefan Lukic – Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

Miroslav Gajovic – Junior Level Artist

Miroslav Gajovic – Junior Level Artist – Rainbow Six: Extraction – Ubisoft Belgrade

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About the author Daniel Wade

Daniel is the Industry Manager for ArtStation.

Ubisoft Rainbow Six Extraction Art Blast

A WORLD OF MYSTERY

CONTAINMENT ZONES

REACT

COLOR OPPOSITION

THE CHIMERA

Ubisoft Montreal

Art Direction

Concept Artists

Character Artists

3D Artists

Texture Artist

Graphic Designers

Level Artists

Lighting Artists

Ubisoft Montreal Helix

Creative Director

Art Director

Graphic Design

Illustrators

Ubisoft Bucharest & Belgrade

Lead Artists

Concept Artists

Environment Artists

Level Artists

About the author Daniel Wade

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