Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Rainbow Six Siege X – My Shooter Fan Take

Cole Millsap Updated: 9/15/2025 | Posted: 9/15/2025

(Credit: ign.com)

As someone who has been hooked on shooters for most of my gaming life, I always get hyped when a new heavyweight drops. Back in October 2024, the reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was one of those moments where I was practically counting down the days. The open beta was electric with smooth gunplay, classic maps, and that addictive COD pacing that made me feel like I was home again. But while the nostalgia hit hard, my time with Black Ops 6 ended up being a rollercoaster.

Black Ops 6 – Nostalgia Reloaded

My first-ever Call of Duty was Black Ops 2, so diving into BO6 hit me with a wave of memories. The second I dropped into maps like Nuketown, I was instantly transported back to 2016, sitting in my neighbor’s basement, grinding matches on his old Xbox. For someone who grew up bouncing between Titanfall 2, Halo, Star Wars Battlefront II, and even PUBG, Black Ops 6 felt like a greatest-hits album of everything I loved about the shooter genre. The movement felt crisp, the weapons had weight, and those old maps had me playing late into the night. But here’s the catch: even with all that nostalgia, it didn’t take long for the familiar COD pattern to creep in.

The COD Cycle Strikes Again

After about 500 matches (yeah, I really put in the hours), the shine started to fade. The constant repetition that comes with nearly every new COD eventually set in. Same modes, same maps, same grind. It’s not that the gameplay is bad, far from it, it’s that the formula feels too comfortable, too predictable. And when my Game Pass subscription ran out three months in, I decided not to renew. For the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel the pull to jump back in.

Rainbow Six Siege X – A Different Beast

Where Black Ops 6 leans into nostalgia and speed, Rainbow Six Siege X offers something that feels sharper and more tactical. Siege has always been about tension, strategy, and team coordination, and X doubles down on those strengths. Coming off COD’s run-and-gun chaos, Siege feels like switching gears completely. Every round matters. Every decision carries weight. And while it doesn’t scratch the same “instant action” itch as COD, it fills the gap COD left behind by giving me a reason to slow down, think, and adapt.

Final Thoughts

Black Ops 6 was fun, no doubt about it. The nostalgia of revisiting old maps and the thrill of launch hype carried me through hundreds of matches. But when the novelty wore off, it left me wanting more than the same recycled COD loop. Rainbow Six Siege X, on the other hand, feels like the antidote: strategic, punishing, and rewarding in a way that COD doesn’t always deliver. As a lifelong shooter fan, I’ll always have a soft spot for COD, but Black Ops 6 reminded me that sometimes, even the biggest names in gaming can’t survive on nostalgia alone.