Rainbow Six Extraction Difficulty Settings: How to Unlock, Change Threat Level & What It Affects

If you’re looking to tweak the challenge in Rainbow Six Extraction to suit your skill level, you’re in the right place. This Rainbow Six Extraction difficulty guide will talk you through how to unlock the Severe & Critical difficulty settings, how to change the ‘Threat Level’ of a mission, and what changing the difficulty actually changes in a mission. So, let’s dive right into it.

How to Unlock Severe & Critical Difficulty Settings in Rainbow Six Extraction

The Severe difficulty is unlocked upon reaching Development Milestone 7.

The Critical difficulty is unlocked upon reaching Development Milestone 11.

After reaching these milestones (leveled up by earning XP from completing objectives, studies and killing enemies), you’ll then have these ‘Threat Level’ options available to choose when you’re setting up a new mission.

Changing Difficulty in Rainbow Six Extraction

To change difficulty, select the location you want to play a mission in and then select the ‘Quick Start’ option or choose the landing zone you want to start at further down this screen.

After doing this, you’ll be given a ‘Threat Level’ screen, outlining each of the difficulty options available.

Select the one you want to use here, and then proceed through the menus until the game starts.

If you want to change the difficulty mid-way through a mission, you’re fresh out of luck as you cannot do this. You’ll need to return to the menu and set up a new mission.

What Each Rainbow Six Extraction Difficulty Changes

Alongside generally making enemies that little bit tougher to take down, each ‘Threat Level’ also changes a number of other things such as the enemy types that you’ll face in the mission, as well as the chance of Parasite mutations.

The higher your level, the bigger the bonus to any objective XP you earn. You’ll also want to take into account the recommended operator level, though, to make sure you don’t go in ill-equipped.

Moderate

• Operators Level: 1-3
• Few Low-Level Archaeans
• No Parasite Mutations

Cautious

• Operators Level: 3+
• Low-Level Archaeans
• Parasite Mutation Risk: 50%
• +50% Objective XP

Severe

• Operators Level: 6+
• Full Archaean Ecosystem
• Parasite Mutation Risk: 100%
• +100% Objective XP

Critical

• Operators Level: 8+
• Full Archaean Ecosystem
• Parasite Mutation Risk: 100%
• +200% Objective XP

That’s everything you need to know on Rainbow Six Extraction difficulty settings. For more tips, tricks and guides, head over to our wiki or see more of our coverage on the game below.