How to level up fast in Rainbow Six Extraction
How levelling works in Rainbow Six Extraction, and tips for levelling up quickly
How do you gain XP and level up fast in Rainbow Six Extraction? Like many recent FPS games, Rainbow Six Extraction treats you to a couple of interconnected levelling systems. Mercifully, this isn't a needlessly-complicated push to get you to purchase some sort of additional Battle Pass, but a system that mainly works in your favour, allowing you to unlock new content as you play the game while focusing on the characters and gear you're particularly keen on. Still, if you want to make the most of your time with the game, you'll want to understand how levelling up works and how to do it most efficiently.
On this page, we'll cover the different levelling systems in Rainbow Six Extraction and what they unlock, as well as share some tips on how to level up more quickly so you can get to the really good stuff as soon as possible.
Rainbow Six Extraction levelling systems explained
There are three different levelling systems in Rainbow Six Extraction. There's overlap between them, and sometimes it can be confusing to work out exactly which system does what. Here's a handy overview of how levelling up in each area benefits you:
- Milestones represent your overall player level, increased by gaining XP from participating in and successfully completing missions. Reaching new milestones up to the level cap of 30 will grant you major unlocks like new Operators and higher-level missions.
- Operator Advancement increases the character level of each Operator individually, unlocking new weapons unique to them as the level advances up to the level cap of 10. Operator Levels increase along with overall XP, though as you might expect, individual Operator Level increases only for the character you play as in any given mission.
- The Tech Tree unlocks more equipment, such as grenades or body armor, as you advance through it. Unlike the other two levelling systems, this one doesn't increase directly based on XP gain from missions. Instead, increasing Milestones will net you points that you can then invest in the Tech Tree.
How to level up fast in Rainbow Six Extraction
You earn XP in Rainbow Six Extraction by taking part in and completing missions, and the more successful you are, the bigger the XP gains. However, it's not simply a case of getting good at the game (although that will definitely help you), since some activities have a higher XP yield than others.
If you're looking to increase the XP you gain in Rainbow Six Extraction, here are some of the most useful methods we've found.
Stealth takedowns earn additional XP
Killing Archæans will always grant you XP, but you'll get more out of it if you take down your enemies without being detected. Guns are equipped with silencers by default, so this is an especially effective way of racking up levels in the early game.
Play on higher difficulty levels
This is a high-risk, high-reward strategy, but if you're confident you're up to the challenge, it's really the quickest way to level up. Higher difficulty levels mean togher enemies and more frequent mutations, but XP gains scale up too.
Complete your Studies side objectives
Studies are quick, relatively easy side tasks that are drip-fed to you throughout the larger missions. The XP gain for completing a single one isn't huge, but keep on top of them and it really stacks up.
Scan enemies before you kill them
When playing as an Operator with intel abilities, killing a scanned enemy — regardless of their alertness to your presence — results in bigger XP gains than killing an unscanned enemy. Again, this is a little thing, but get into the habit of doing it and you'll enjoy regular XP top-ups. Even better is when you can stack up stealth kills against scanned enemies in a group (best achieved by throwing grenades or other gadgets that deal AoE damage), which racks up a delightful list of XP gains as you watch from a safe distance. Yet another reason why Lion is one of the best Operators in Rainbow Six Extraction.
Assess whether it's worth completing extra objectives
Completing extra objectives can net you a generous overall XP boost, but runs a much higher risk of your Operator dying. If your original Operator dies you get the chance to retry the mission with a different Operator, who will have the additional objective of rescuing their predecessor. Fail this second attempt, though, and you'll lose any XP and levels that those characters gained on the mission.
However, if you're extremely confident and enjoy risky behaviour, you could try letting your first Operator die on purpose and enjoy XP benefits for both Operators when they're rescued. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're very good at this game, but in theory it works.
For more on this game, be sure to check out our Rainbow Six Extraction tips and tricks guide for everything you need to know when getting started! Or, if you're still not sold on the idea of a PvE Rainbow Six Siege spin-off, have a look at our review for our thoughts on how the game stacks up to its phenomenally popular parent.