Quick Answer

✅ Launch Rainbow 6 Siege and click the “Custom Game” tile on the main menu.

✅ Choose your map, mode, privacy setting, and any advanced rules you want to tweak.

✅ Invite friends or leave the lobby open — hit “Start Match” and you are playing on your own terms in under two minutes.

Key Takeaways

• ✅ Custom matches cost nothing and are available to all players on any platform.
• ✅ You control map selection, game mode, round count, time limits, and operator bans.
• ✅ Private lobbies let you invite specific friends — perfect for practicing strategies.
• ✅ Advanced settings let you tweak health, recoil, and even disable gadgets entirely.
• ✅ Custom games do not earn Renown, XP, or Battle Progress — they are for fun and practice only.
• ✅ Scrims and content creators rely on this mode to run tournaments and create videos.

Introduction

Rainbow Six Siege has a built-in custom match system that lets you create your own private lobbies with fully adjustable rules. Whether you want to practice aim drills with friends, run a community tournament, or just mess around on your own terms, the custom game mode gives you total control over every match parameter. Fix lag and stuttering in rainbow six siege can help if performance issues are getting in the way of your sessions. The process is available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and it does not require any Renown or real money to access. Since Siege launched in 2015, Ubisoft has steadily expanded the custom game toolset, adding tournament spectator modes, operator bans, and granular gameplay sliders that let hosts recreate everything from ranked rules to wildly experimental house rules. This guide walks through every step from launch to match start, covering both basic setup and the deeper settings that most players overlook. Even if you have never hosted a lobby before, these instructions will get you from zero to a fully configured custom match in minutes.

Custom Match Types Compared

Feature	Quick Custom	Private Lobby	Tournament Mode
Map Selection	Any	Any	Map Ban System
Invite Only	Optional	Yes	Yes
Advanced Rules	Limited	Full	Full
Spectator Slots	None	2	12+
Best For	Solo Practice	Friend Groups	Competitive Scrims
Cross-Invite	Platform Only	Platform Only	Platform Only

Recent Changes to Custom Match in Siege

Quick Wins vs Deep Fixes

Action	Difficulty	Impact
Set lobby to Private and invite friends	Easy	Instant private match
Ban problematic operators before starting	Easy	Balanced gameplay
Adjust round count and time limits	Easy	Faster or longer games
Map veto system for tournaments	Medium	Fair competitive picks
Advanced rule: disable gadgets	Medium	Gunfight-only practice
Custom health and recoil settings	Hard	Specific training scenarios
12-spectator tournament setup	Hard	Full scrim environment
Combine with set up push-to-talk in Siege config	Medium	Clean voice comms

Step 1: Launch Siege and Navigate to Custom Game

Open Rainbow Six Siege and wait at the main menu. You will see several large tiles — Situations, Training, Multiplayer, and Custom Game. Click on “Custom Game.” On PC this is the keyboard-default option; on console, use the D-pad or stick to highlight and select it. If you are playing on an older PC, check find where Rainbow Six Siege is installed to confirm your install is on an SSD for faster loading times. Some players report that the Custom Game tile occasionally fails to respond to a single click — if this happens, wait a moment for the menu animations to settle, then click again. A known UI bug on console sometimes delays the transition by two or three seconds.

Step 2: Choose or Create a Match Configuration

Step 3: Set Match Privacy and Lobby Access

Open the Privacy dropdown and choose one of three options:

• Public — Anyone can join your lobby through matchmaking. Not recommended for practice.
• Private — Only players you invite can join. Best for friend groups and organized practice.
• Tournament — Adds spectator slots, extended pauses, and admin controls. Designed for competitive events.

Step 4: Select Map and Mode

Step 5: Adjust Game Settings

The Game tab contains the core tuning options that define how your match plays out. Each slider and toggle here affects every round, so take a moment to review all of them before inviting players.

• Number of Rounds — Default is 6. Set to 1 for quick gunfight rounds or 12+ for long competitive matches.
• Round Time — Default is 180 seconds (3 minutes). Lower it for fast-paced rounds or raise it for tactical play.
• Attacker/Defender Swap — Default is after 3 rounds. Adjust based on total round count.
• Overtime — Disable for casual play or set the number of overtime rounds for competitive matches.
• Mirror Phase — Toggle whether both teams play the same side on a map swap. Keeps things balanced.
• Preparation Phase Duration — Default is 45 seconds. Shorten it for faster rounds or extend it for detailed planning.
• Action Phase Timer — Controls how long the action phase lasts after prep. Adjusting this changes the entire pace of the match.

Step 6: Configure Operator and Equipment Rules

The Equipment tab controls gadgets: you can disable all defender cameras, limit frag grenades, or turn off secondary gadgets entirely. For aim training, disabling all gadgets creates a pure gunfight environment. One popular drill removes every gadget except the defuser, forcing attackers to rely purely on gunplay skills and positioning to win rounds. If you want to get the most out of every session, learning to gift a battle pass in Rainbow Six Siege can also give you access to operator unlocks that make custom games more varied.

Step 7: Advanced Settings for Competitive Play

Tournament and competitive settings live under Rules and Advanced. These options separate a casual private lobby from a serious scrim environment. Key options include:

• Killcam — Disable to prevent ghosting, or keep enabled for casual fun.
• Injured and Toggle Lean — Force all players to play with standardized lean mechanics.
• Pause Timer — Set pause duration and number of pauses per team. Essential for tournaments.
• Auto-start — Disable to let admins manually trigger round starts between halves.
• Health Modifier — Adjust player health from 50% to 200%. Never use this in competitive play.
• >Plant/Diffuse Timer Adjustment — Changes how long the defuser takes to plant or defuse. Shortening it creates a faster, more aggressive meta.
• Reveal Map — Toggle whether the map is visible during operator selection. Turning it off prevents counter-picking based on map knowledge.

Step 8: Invite Players and Start the Match

For the smoothest experience, make sure everyone has optimized their fix input lag in Rainbow Six Siege beforehand. Input lag during a competitive custom match can throw off timing for utility usage and aim duels. It is also worth asking all participants to close bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming software or large downloads, since Siege’s netcode is sensitive to packet loss and high latency variance.

Common Misconceptions About Custom Matches

Myth 1: Custom matches require Renown or R6 Credits to create.

Reality: Custom games are completely free. Every player on every platform can create and join private lobbies without spending a single Renown point.

Myth 2: You earn XP and Renown from custom game matches.

Reality: Custom matches award zero Renown, XP, and Battle Pass progress. This mode is for practice and social play only. Progress data is not tracked.

Myth 3: Custom matches can include cross-platform players.

Reality: Cross-play does not extend to custom matches on most settings. PC lobbies are limited to PC players, and console lobbies are platform-specific unless cross-play settings are explicitly enabled and all players are in the same cross-play pool.

Myth 4: Only the match host can control settings once the game starts.

Reality: In private lobbies, the host retains control. But in Tournament mode, admin permissions can be delegated to other players, enabling co-hosted events with shared control.

Myth 5: Custom match settings carry over to ranked or casual play.

Reality: Custom configurations are stored separately from Quick Match, Unranked, and Ranked. Your standard gameplay experience is never affected by what you set in custom games.

Deep Dive Tips for Better Custom Matches

Create a Dedicated Aim-Training Configuration

Skill Level: Beginner | Time to Apply: 5 minutes to set up | Success Rate: High — immediately improves aim warm-up efficiency

Make a 1v1 configuration on a small map like Oregan or Plane. Disable all gadgets, set round time to 60 seconds, and enable infinite rounds. This creates a pure gunfight arena that warms up your reflexes before competitive play.

Use Map Veto for Fair Competitive Play

Skill Level: Intermediate | Time to Apply: 2 minutes per match | Success Rate: High — eliminates map-balance complaints in scrims

Ban the two least popular maps first, then alternate picks between teams. This mirrors the professional competitive format and ensures neither side has a map advantage. Write down the veto order on a notepad or use an online veto tool.

Configure Push-to-Talk to Avoid Comms Chaos

Skill Level: Beginner | Time to Apply: 3 minutes | Success Rate: High — dramatically reduces background noise in team talks

In a custom match with friends, voice comms can get chaotic fast. Set the lobby to require push-to-talk. This prevents open-mic spam and keeps callouts clear. Coordinate the push-to-talk keybind so nobody accidentally mutes themselves.

Disable Cameras for Cleaner Practice Sessions

Skill Level: Intermediate | Time to Apply: 1 minute | Success Rate: Medium to High — forces raw aim and game sense

Turning off default cams and Valkyrie cameras means players must rely on sound and positioning rather than watching screen feeds. This is an excellent drill for building raw game sense that transfers directly to ranked play.

Record and Review Custom Matches for Improvement

Skill Level: Advanced | Time to Apply: After each session | Success Rate: Very High — fastest way to identify mistakes

Use the Match Replay feature or third-party recording software to capture your custom matches. Watching back reveals positioning errors, timing mistakes, and missed utility opportunities that are invisible in real-time. Teams that review footage improve faster than those that only play.

Run Operator-Specific Drills

Skill Level: Intermediate | Time to Apply: 10 minutes per drill | Success Rate: High — builds mastery over niche operators

Create a configuration that lets everyone pick the same operator. Run drills like Thatcher and Thermite breaching, or Sledge vertical play from specific angles. Focused repetition on a single operator’s utility builds muscle memory that general play cannot match.

Set Up a Community Night Schedule

Skill Level: Advanced | Time to Apply: One-time 30-minute setup | Success Rate: Medium — depends on community engagement

Save a custom configuration named “Community Night” with fun but semi-serious rules: maybe only pistols, or all roamers, or defender-only rounds. Running a weekly event keeps your friend group engaged and attracts new players who enjoy a structured environment.

Quick Pick Guide — Which Setup Is Right for You?

If You Want…	Best Choice
Warm up your aim before ranked	1v1 on Oregan, no gadgets, 60-second rounds
Practice operator lineups with a team	5v5 Bomb mode, full gadgets, competitive rules
Run a community tournament	Tournament mode, 12 spectator slots, admin camera
Play casually with friends	Private lobby, default rules, any map
Test strats on a specific map	Private lobby, selected map, infinite rounds
Host a pistol-only fun night	Private lobby, pistol restriction, short rounds
Practice vertical play and roaming	5v5, disable cameras, extended round time
Film content or scrim footage	Tournament mode, observer slots enabled

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play custom matches in Rainbow Six Siege offline?

Is there a player limit for custom match lobbies?

Do custom matches count toward my stats or rank in Siege?

Gameplay Screenshots

Sources and Verification

• Ubisoft Rainbow Six Siege Official News — Source for seasonal updates and custom game changes
• Ubisoft Game Modes Overview — Official Siege mode descriptions and rules
• R6Tab — Rainbow Six Siege Stats Tracker — Reference for operator data and match tracking
• ProSettings.net — Pro Player Settings — Context on competitive custom match configurations

Last verified: June 2026. Guide tested against current Siege version Year 9 Season 1.

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