Rainbow Six first began in 1998, when the first game was released on PC. It was a smash hit from the moment it dropped, and over the next three years, it saw several expansions spawn before follow-up titles started dropping and the series broadened its horizon across home consoles. By today, it’s one of the most iconic first-person shooter franchises, and Rainbow Six Siege – the most popular game in the series – is a top-tier esports title. However, there’s something that people often wonder – why is it called Rainbow Six?

If you’re not aware of the backstory, it may seem like an odd name with no meaning. For competing titles, it’s relatively obvious what they’re referring to – Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Medal of Honor, for example. But, for the most part, ‘Rainbow Six’ means nothing unless you know why it’s called Rainbow Six.

Let’s find out.

Why is it Called Rainbow Six?

In 1998, Rainbow Six was released – but it came in two formats. First, there was the novel, penned by the legendary Tom Clancy, which launched on August 3rd, 1998. Then, mere weeks later (on August 21st), the Rainbow Six game was released. It was a joint effort, with the game being developed while the book was being written, and they were synergetic.

But why was it named Rainbow Six?

In the Tom Clancy universe (which extends to the games), ‘Rainbow’ (or RAINBOW) is a term used as a title of an all-new elite counterterrorism unit. It was, as the tale goes, formed in 1999 to combat terrorists all around the world, and it was made up of members of several states. It’s seen as a term used to describe all the various colours of all the flags that came together to fight evil terrorists – a rainbow.

But what about the ‘Six’?

Well, in the original book, a character named John Clark takes centre stage as the first ‘leader’ of Team Rainbow. As the leader or ‘director’ of Team Rainbow, his codename – or designation – is simply known as ‘Six’. So, that’s where the name came from – John Clark was quite literally ‘Rainbow Six’.

Is Rainbow Six Still Popular?

Rainbow Six Siege esports are dramatically popular today, even if the game is almost a decade old. There are still hundreds of thousands of players populating the game’s ecosystem, and it’s appreciated on a global scale. Every few weeks, Ubisoft – the game’s developer – carries out updates that essentially refresh the platform, keeping players invested and interested.

For the best Rainbow Six players in the world, it’s still a strong and stable title that shows very little signs of slowing down any time soon. While competing titles like Call of Duty come and go every year, Rainbow Six Siege has remained a constant in the industry since 2015.

It all began in 1998 with the introduction of John ‘Rainbow Six’ Clark, and it exists today in the form of a massively successful game series.

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