Gaming
esports
How Vitality created a legacy in Rainbow Six Siege
Vitality have been in Rainbow Six Siege since day one and have built up a lasting legacy despite a number of ups and downs. We dive deep with CEO, Nicolas Maurer, to find out how they've done it.
Go all the way back to the early days of Rainbow Six Siege's Esports scene and most of the names competing are unrecognisable, both the players and the organisations. Some have stuck around, but for the most part, those that competed in the first Pro League seasons are either no longer around or are competing in the lower levels. One name that has been there pretty much since day one however, and continues to field a top squad in the Pro League, is Team Vitality.
In the early days, they played in the Xbox One scene (when that was still a part of the Pro League) and they were one of the best teams in the first year. At the time, Vitality wasn't quite the massive organisation that it is today, but even so, picking up a team in this unknown game and on the platform that many said from day one was the lesser of the two, was a strange move.
"In Esports, one of the challenges is to pick the right games at the right time," says Nicolas Maurer, CEO of Vitality. "Rainbow Six was a bet, because it was a new game in Esports. We weren't too sure of the way it would go, but it started with the players that we worked with previously on other games. We looked at the opportunity and we felt the game had some potential, so we said 'Okay let's try'. I think in Esports, you can take some risks, especially in the kind of game where they are new, because that doesn't cost that much money."
It may not have been a massive investment in the early days, but it was one that paid off. After winning the first ever European Pro League on Xbox One, Vitality would go on to finish second at the first ever Six Invitational. When it came to the Xbox One scene, there weren't many better, and it was clear the players had some skill. So when the Xbox One Pro League was dissolved after the first year, Vitality was left in a difficult decision. They chose to keep the team and try to transition to the PC, something that's proven to be quite difficult for some players over the years.
"First of all, we had the Xbox team, and then we had a transition period where we kept the Xbox team in the transition into PC," recalls Maurer. "We wanted to give them the chance to perform on the PC scene, because we had the connection and the history with them. At the same time, we understood that we needed to be competitive. We knew that we needed a change, and we went to Supremacy."
After giving the core of the Xbox team a chance in the PC scene, it became clear that to make it back to the top they would need to make some changes. While the original team had some success, they were not at the level they were on Xbox One, and with Vitality still being one of the biggest orgs in the world of Rainbow Six, they wanted to be at the top of the table.
Vitality now have their own skin in game
© Ubisoft
So after the end of year two, Vitality made the decision to sign a totally new roster. They went to long term French rivals Supremacy and signed their squad, who finished in the top eight at the Six Invitational. It was a smart move, as the new Vitality squad has been one of the best teams in Europe ever since. As is always the case, though, a total roster change was a massive risk.
"We don't want roster changes every day, we see it's very bad for the supporters at home," says Maurer. "Sometimes, you just need to do so, of course, but most of the time, we really value stability and we found that in the ex-Supremacy team. We picked them up and worked with them. We are now very happy with the team, we created a good connection between them and our fans, and now they want to see them perform well."
Now, Vitality is once again a top team in Europe, despite a less than ideal run in the current Pro League season, and is certainly one of the most respected organisations in the scene. They've become one of the most recognisable names in RB6 and certainly have a better legacy in the game than many of the other big orgs that have only entered the scene in recent years.
Their dedication has been rewarded with their own skin in the game, which Maurer jokes they were very protective over, sending a lot of feedback to Ubisoft on all the designs they came up with. After starting out taking a risk with Rainbow Six, Vitality have been rewarded big time, and this revenue share option only makes things better. Ubisoft is slowly starting to make the game more attractive to organisations, and for Vitality that's exactly what they need to further cement their legacy in the Rainbow Six world.
"I think in Rainbow Six, everything improved – the quality of the events, the way the Pro League is organised,' says Maurer. "There have been a lot of issues, a lot of challenges they have to face, especially the connection with the organisations and the teams, because they come from a very player-centric background. It made it really difficult for us because in the long run, that doesn't create a sustainable environment, so they're slowly shifting from that player-centric perspective towards a team perspective.
"I wouldn't say it's perfect yet, but I'd say the trend is good and I think, even if we don't go to franchising, it's evolving to more stable leagues. Maybe at the end of the day, we will have one year long Pro League seasons."
Regardless of what happens in the future, there's no doubt that when it comes to Rainbow Six only a couple of organisations have the history that Vitality does. They have appeared at both Six Invitationals and the Paris Major, and have won Pro League championships. Even though they may not be the best team in the world right now, the name Vitality carries a lot of weight in the scene, and it's clear that Maurer only intends to further stick with Rainbow Six.
