Former Rainbow Six Siege pro: «I lived my dream for a year»

On the Rainbow Six Siege scene, Yannic Martin is known as Caneo. For a year, the 21-year-old computer scientist from Dietikon lived his dream as an e-sports professional, competing internationally.

At our very own Digitec Playground Rainbow Six Siege tournament, I talked to Yannic about Ubisoft’s tactical shooter and his short but intense professional career.

Yannic, Rainbow Six Siege was released in 2015. How many hours have you invested in the game since then?
A lot. A lot. Over nine years, I’ve accumulated around 17,000 hours. I started with the console version, where I clocked around 5,000 hours. Then I switched to PC and logged around 12,000 hours. Most of that during my year-long stint as a professional player.

What fascinates you so much about the game?
For me, Rainbow Six Siege is like Counter Strike combined with chess. You don’t have to aim with such extreme precision, but the game is far more strategic than other tactical shooters.

For example, there are different characters – or operators – who have their own abilities. In each round, you choose a different character, meaning that you play different strategies. The destructible walls also bring an extra element of tactics. After 17,000 hours of playing time, I’m still amazed at the new approaches people use.

What was your first encounter with Rainbow Six Siege and when did you fall in love with it?
My brother played the beta version on the PS4 in 2015. I was 13 and found it boring at the time. A year later, a friend persuaded me to play a few rounds. Suddenly, it clicked.

During my course, I met another student who played the game competitively. Through him, I found myself in this new world and took part in tournaments organised by Ubisoft.

After that, I switched from console to PC, aiming to get really good. Every day after work, I played for four to five hours. All weekend too. I played consistently and trained.

Your hard work paid off – you became a professional. How did that happen?
It all happened pretty quickly. A Swiss soft drinks manufacturer organised a fun tournament and I won, making a name for myself on the Swiss scene. After that, I competed at mYinsanity at SwitzerLAN 2021 – that was my first big tournament.

After SwitzerLAN, I saw that a Polish team – Anonymo Esports – was looking for players on Twitter. I got in touch and was flown to the boot camp in Warsaw, where we played qualifiers for the Six Invitational tournament. We played against a lot of good teams, including Wylde. We lost. But I played so well that a month later Wylde asked me if I wanted to join them. So, I did.

A meteoric rise. What happened after Wylde?
Wylde was my last professional position; I ended my career at the end of 2022. My time there was difficult. I was very nervous. No wonder, because I was on a team with consummate professionals such as Korey. He’s one of the most successful German players, who I otherwise only know from YouTube videos. It was surreal. I played badly and slipped to the bench.

I celebrated my «comeback» at the Gamers 8 tournament in Saudi Arabia. A teammate had issues with his visa and I replaced him in the team. In a different position, but that didn’t matter. I played very well and got my confidence back. After that, I played for Wylde for about another six months. In total, I earned money as a professional player for about a year.

Why did you stop after just one year?
I’d have loved to play professionally forever. But after a year at the highest level, I had to admit a few things to myself. A professional career in Rainbow Six Siege isn’t the best thing for my mental health.

How did your professional career affect your mental health?
I lived my dream for a year. It was great, but it was also very exhausting. I was never able to switch off. I was constantly thinking about how I could improve. Every free minute I had was spent thinking about the game and my performance. I enjoy having a «normal» job more. And also leaving work and going for a drink with friends. I couldn’t do that as a professional.

I also thought that it didn’t make sense for my long-term professional future to carry on at that level.

To what extent has your career planning suffered as a result of your e-sports career?
I fell into a professional gaming career straight out of my computer science apprenticeship. It’s a full-time job – we train and play practically all day.

If I were to look for a «normal» job somewhere in Switzerland after my Rainbow Six Siege career, I’d have a huge gap in my CV. I’d have had to start another apprenticeship or course.

What was it like training as a Rainbow Six Siege pro?
We usually met at 1 p.m. on a Discord call to discuss the day and latest strategies. This was followed by a training session lasting three to four hours, followed by an hour-long analysis. Finally, there was a three-to-four-hour training session in the evening and then a debrief to review the whole day. After that, I played ranked matches until two or three in the morning.

What makes a good Rainbow Six Siege team?
Morale. Poor team morale is a recipe for failure. That’s why we did a lot of team building. For example, we went on holiday together to Greece. If you get on well with each other, you train well and with discipline. Training is the foundation for success.

If the opportunity arose, would you take the plunge again with a professional career in Rainbow Six Siege?
I’ve been approached by various teams in Saudi Arabia and Europe asking if I’d like to play for them. But I’m not interested anymore. The feeling of winning something was indescribable. But I don’t have the bug for it anymore.

Do you still play Rainbow Six Siege?
After I stopped playing as a professional, I carried on playing with an amateur team in 2023. Now I only play every now and then. Smaller tournaments, just for fun. That’s why I’m joining in with Digitec Playground.

And what about other games?
Because all my friends play on console, I switched back. We play Rocket League and Fortnite from time to time. We’re also looking forward to the new EA FC. On my own, I play games like Elden Ring or – as I am at the moment – Black Myth: Wukong. Titles that really challenge me.

My problem is basically that because I was so good at Rainbow Six Siege, I expect to be just as good at every other game. And when I’m not, I get annoyed. That’s why I can’t imagine ever playing at a pro level again in another game.

How’s Rainbow Six Siege doing nine years after it was launched? Are you happy with how it’s developing?
It’s developed a lot and it never gets boring. There are now over 70 playable operators. The game started with around 20 characters.

But there’s one problem. Ubisoft keeps nerfing good operators and making them worse instead of buffing bad ones and making them playable. I expect my current favourites in attack (Grim, Buck, Hibana, Ram and Ace) and defence (Kapkan, Mute, Kaid, Warden and Lesion) will also be nerfed sooner or later.

On the PC, Rainbow Six Siege also has a big cheating problem. This is partly due to the outdated engine they use. Funnily enough, many PC pros play on console in their free time because there are no or very few cheaters. I don’t enjoy the PC version anymore either.

2022 saw the release of another series spin-off – Rainbow Six Extraction – but it didn’t make a lasting impression on the scene. Or am I wrong?
No, it came and went. It’s based on a temporary game mode from the fourth year of Rainbow Six Siege – it was called Outbreak back then. It was cool, but they didn’t translate the mode well into a standalone game. It’s basically the same gameplay as Helldivers 2. And, just like Helldivers 2, the gameplay eventually becomes monotonous. That was the reason for the game’s demise.

Is the scene looking for a «real» successor – a Rainbow Six Siege 2?
The next logical step would be a Rainbow Six Siege 2 with a robust anti-cheat system. There have been leaks and rumours, but nothing definite yet.

Apart from that, I hope the sequel will be even more beginner-friendly. We need more young players. New, fresh people who’ll get into the game and expand the player base. We need that to keep the competitive scene alive.

So, the professional Rainbow Six Siege scene isn’t doing too well at the moment?
No. There aren’t enough young players. Ubisoft doesn’t do enough to nurture them. There are too few tournaments where new players can prove themselves. Teams aren’t looking for new players; they’re asking experienced players and trying to lure them to join them. That’s why I’ve also been asked by various teams – even though they know that I’m no longer competing. The talent pool is drying up.

In Switzerland, the competitive scene’s virtually non-existent. It was bigger between 2018 and 2021. mYinsanity is the only Swiss team that’s made a name for itself internationally.

The fact that there are fewer Swiss players at the top level is definitely also due to the salary. If you come from other European countries, you earn quite a lot with a professional salary. But in Switzerland everything’s more expensive and the salary isn’t enough. You also have to invest a lot of time to even get to the point where you earn money. It’s just not worth it.

The last qualifiers for the Playground Cup Vol. 13 will take place on Saturday 14 September. The game will be Rainbow Six Siege – which the Community decided in a public vote. Register now or watch live.

The streams will be moderated by the Rainbow Six Siege and shooter experts AndiGAMETV and Gardalus. The qualifier and the final will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube.

You can find all the information about the tournament and registration here: