Operation System Override Dokkaebi’s remaster: is it a nerf or a buff?

Dokkaebi is getting a remaster in Rainbow Six Siege’s new season, Operation System Override.

With access to one of the best and most versatile loadouts in the game as well as a very impactful operator device, the South Korean attacker has always been the object of criticism. 

Earlier this year, Ubisoft announced Dokkaebi’s remaster, bringing high hopes to all those players who have always thought the operator needed strong balancing changes; however, the initial reactions are far from being positive.

Dokkaebi’s remaster brings a few new cool concepts on the table which make the attacker feel refreshed. It also certainly fixes one of the most blatant problems Dokkaebi has always had: she had always been an operator that required close to no skill.

Although the skill required to use her efficiently has been drastically increased, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’re in front of a nerf. In this article we’ll have a look at her new shape and answer the one-million dollar question: is Dokkaebi stronger than ever before?

Past Dokkaebi vs. Operation System Override Dokkaebi

First, it’s important to differentiate between the past and the upcoming Dokkaebi.

Dokkaebi’s previous gadget was the Logic Bomb. Here’s what she could do:

• She could call all defenders at once twice.
• Defenders could not pick up the phone with no consequences, other than the sound giving nearby attackers a vague idea of potential locations.
• She could have unlimited access to cameras after hacking one phone.
• She could call dead defenders, blocking their access to cameras for a brief period of time.

Meanwhile, here’s what Dokkaebi’s Jegeo Payload can do:

• She can only call one defender at a time, up to five calls per round. She can only call previously spotted defenders.
• Defenders must pick up the phone within six seconds otherwise their phone explodes. The explosion takes away 40 HP. The fire of the explosion can cause even more damage. After the explosion, the defender loses access to cameras and potentially their gadget too–in the case of Maestro, Valkyrie, Fenrir, Skopós, and other operators who need their phone to trigger their ability.
• She can hack a defender phone from anywhere in the map.
• She has limited access to cameras, she can hack them twice a round.

Additionally, post-Operation System Override’s Dokkaebi has access to a brand-new weapon, the XK23. This assault rifle rounds up her loadout; she can now choose between a DMR (Mk 14 EBR), a shotgun (BOSG.12.2) or the previously mentioned rifle. She has also kept the overpowered SMG-12, which has always been very controversial. If that wasn’t enough, she also has access to smoke and stun grenades as well as Impact EMPs.

All in all, Dokkaebi’s loadout definitely is stronger than before. In terms of her ability kit, that can be discussed further. Let’s move on:

Is Dokkaebi’s remaster a nerf or a buff?

Dokkaebi’s remaster is a nerf AND a buff; it depends on who you ask the question to.

If you talk to low-ranked players, they will likely say Dokkaebi’s remaster is a nerf. In lower lobbies, Dokkaebi’s impact won’t be as strong as before. This is because Dokkaebi’s Logic Bombs didn’t require so much skill.

Before the remaster, players could call all defenders at once by just pressing a button. Now, in order to get the most from her calls, players must work well together and communicate with their teammates—which isn’t likely to happen in lower lobbies.

The very same can be said about accessing defender cameras; before the rework, she just had to hack a camera once in order to have full access throughout the whole round. Now, players will have to decide when is the right time to have access to defender cameras.

In other words, Dokkaebi’s remaster requires a deeper knowledge of the game, communication, and strategy in order to use the South Korean’s gadget at its fullest. Therefore, it’s a nerf in lower lobbies.

However, Dokkaebi’s remaster is a buff in higher lobbies; and we expect her to take over the competitive scene in Stage 1. Slowly but steadily, attackers had been gaining ground over defenders, especially with the addition of Solid Snake, the current state of shields, and other operators like Deimos, Grim, or Twitch. Dokkaebi’s tweak will make things even harder for defenders.

Dokkaebi’s remaster is definitely a buff in higher lobbies and competitive because, in this scenario, we’re talking of professional players or players who are used to communicating and playing together efficiently with their teammates.

The key factor behind Dokkaebi’s remaster which makes her so strong is that she can now blow up a defender’s phone. This forces defenders to pick up the phone; otherwise not only damage is inflicted but also they are forced to move positions, otherwise the flames could even kill them.

Logically, losing access to their phone is crucial too. However, this is a consequence they can accept paying. Taking the damage is the hard pill to swallow; especially if Dokkaebi is combined with operators such as Deimos. In this case, if the defender stops to block the call, Deimos will have a precious window of time where the defender is still—opening the door to an easy kill through a soft surface.

Professional players will likely use Dokkaebi to push away defenders who play from a very specific location. Before, Dokkaebi’s calls were used to block operators such as Maestro or Echo while planting. Now, it will be more used to target specific defenders who will have to decide between either spending a few seconds refusing the call or taking the 40 HP.

Regarding the limited hacking time, although this clearly feels like a nerf, it shouldn’t be a big factor to be considered in high lobbies: Dokkaebi players should save access to cameras until the end of the round, minimizing the impact of this specific change. Obviously, this means that Dokkaebi’s life is more precious than ever before, as Dokkaebi players used to be able to hack a camera and die shortly after while keeping access to cameras for the whole length of the round. This isn’t possible anymore.

Of course, the addition of the XK23 can only be seen as a buff—it means giving Dokkaebi access to more playstyles.

Overall, Dokkaebi’s remaster is a nerf in lower lobbies, but a huge buff in higher lobbies and the competitive scene. It will affect the game’s meta and professional players are already fearing the potential effects. We will write more articles and guides about Dokkaebi as soon as professional players start using the South Korean attacker in Rainbow Six Siege’s esports ecosystem.