Rainbow Six Siege's Tachanka gets topless in leaked Elite skin

Rainbow Six Siege Tachanka 10 Million Players
Rainbow Six Siege Tachanka 10 Million Players (Image credit: Ubisoft)

The lord and savior of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege soon receives his hotly-anticipated Elite skin, courtesy of a fresh leak preluding an imminent rework. Turret-wielding Russian operative, Tachanka, has emerged a fan-favorite over the years, despite being one of the worst-performing Operators in the game. Ubisoft looks to address criticisms later in Year 5 with an extensive overhaul — and new leaked footage suggests an Elite skin also on the horizon.

Ubisoft provided our first glimpse at Tachanka's new gadgetry in February, swapping out his mounted LMG turret for a mobile pan-fed alternative. The defender will also snag an incendiary grenade launcher as his primary gadget, with bouncing projectiles, exploding upon impact. But those changes won't change the man behind the mask, with his leaked Elite skin retaining his signature burly physique.

The alleged Tachanka Elite comes via /u/gamerfelonies on Reddit, with pre-release assets datamined via the Rainbow Six Siege client. The shirtless skin puts the Russian's muscular form front-and-center, decked in tactical gear — and reminiscent of previous Ubisoft marketing assets, as seen above.

Rainbow Six Siege Tachanka Elite Leak

Source: Ubisoft (Image credit: Source: Ubisoft)

Rainbow Six Siege Tachanka Elite Leak

Source: Ubisoft (Image credit: Source: Ubisoft)

Rainbow Six Siege's Elite skins are Ubisoft's premium cosmetic bundles comprised of exclusive uniforms, weapon skins, and gadget skins. While the precise release date for the Tachanka Elite skin remains unclear, two Operators often receive their premium bundles per season. It makes a Year 5 Season 3 release increasingly likely if coupled with Tachanka's new loadout. Like previous Elite sets, the bundle will likely cost 1,800 R6 Credits – Rainbow Six Siege's premium packs obtainable with real-world money.

Don't miss our full breakdown of Rainbow Six Siege's Year 5 Season 3 update, including the all-but-confirmed Splinter Cell crossover.

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.