Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege started out as quite popular, but the military shooter has certainly seen better days. Having fallen by the wayside somewhat since it was originally released, the game does see resurgences in popularity whenever new playable operators are introduced. One such operator has been discussed for years, but it's yet to be put into the game due to the potential controversy.
A possible K9 operator has long been an idea tossed around for Rainbow Six Siege, though it would come with all sorts of problems. Outside the logistics of gameplay, it'd also add another moral question to the military series. With how other games handle animal companions, it might divide audiences too much for the Tom Clancy game. Here's why K9 units will most likely never be seen in Rainbow Six Seige.
Rainbow Six Siege's K9 Operator Is an Unlikely Game Addition
For years, the developers behind Rainbow Six Siege have looked into adding different types of playable operators to the game, including a K9 unit that would either serve alongside a player-controlled human or perhaps even be a playable part of the duo. The idea of playing as a dog sounds like something that's simply too fun to ignore, but doing so could easily pave the way to controversy. As Alexander Karpazis, who's now the creative director of the game once said, "Our creative director always talks about a K-9 unit. But to answer your question, I have to ask you a question: Are you OK to shoot a dog?" After all, having a K9 Operator would mean that said animal could be shot and killed in the game, an idea that some lovers of four-legged friends wouldn't take kindly to.
Another idea is that the dog itself would be effectively "invincible," with the only way to kill it being to KO the human operator that the unit supports. While this would remove some of the moral conundra from killing a pooch, it would also make the unit incredibly unbalanced, as it would effectively be two operators in one. Thus, most players would likely begin using the K9 operator due to its unfair advantage. The best way to avoid this issue would be to not introduce the K9 unit at all -- something with which the developers of Rainbow Six Siege seem to be content.
Video Games With Animal Violence Rightly Remain Controversial
The idea of including animals in such a violent capacity is quite contentious among gamers, especially in countries where pet ownership is prominent and highly regarded. That would definitely be the case for a title like Rainbow Six Siege, with semi-realistic military shooters such as that series and the even more popular Call of Duty series already seen in a somewhat scandalous light. Adding the killing of digitized dogs to the mix would likely only make things worse. Even in other settings and capacities, such as the zombified dogs of the Resident Evil series, it's not exactly something that goes down easily with most. These games are gory and violent affairs, and it would seem that most video game players would prefer more peaceful endeavors with virtual fauna.
For instance, many were delighted by the prospect of petting a fox in the game Ghost of Tsushima -- and less enthused about fighting enemy dogs. Likewise, even if it involves making them battle it out, the Pokémon series is full of cutesy critters that are beloved the world over, and their games don't involve said Pocket Monsters being shot at or violently dismembered. The same ideas can also be seen in titles such as the handheld franchise Nintendogs. Gamers take virtual animals just as seriously as organic ones, and having a killable K9 operator in Rainbow Six Siege would likely only draw the wrong kind of attention. Thus, for the sake of dog lovers everywhere, it's for the best that such an operator continues to be left out of the series.