[quotemsg=16984926,0,1442759]Unless I've misinterpreted something, from the looks of it the additional operators, maps, and the like would only be unlocked with the season pass and Ubi's Renown system. If that's not so, I'll be happy to admit as such. So, as I see it, you spend $60 for the base game... and that's all you get unless you pony up for the pass.[/quotemsg]
Ah I see. I re-read the article and it doesn't really clearly state any of that. So I saw their recent official Season Pass trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCdJBkiT7aY) and in the first half it mentions the maps and operators being free: that no "paywall" will divide the community. The second half is advertising the "cool stuff" you get in the season pass, which amounts to 5% extra exp, some skins (not weapons), and 7 days early access on operators.
Here's also a link to their official blog post stating that all the Year One stuff is free: http://rainbow6.ubi.com/siege/en-us/news/detail.aspx?c=tcm:152-227423-16&ct=tcm:148-76770-32
According to that blogpost, there are only 3 things that you buy with real money (R6 Credits): Unlock Operators early, unlock weapon skins, and buy XP boosters. Of those 3, only XP boosters and the more unique looking skins are money only. Unlocking Operators and the other weapon skins can be done through playing the game. And remember, the skins are purely cosmetic.