Ubisoft Staff Reportedly Concerned About Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC
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Key points
- Ubisoft staff have reportedly raised concerns about the company’s partnership with Saudi Arabia.
- The management gave non-answers to the concerns of the staff.
- A French newspaper reported that the upcoming DLC received funding from the controversial Public Investment Fund.
In a report by GameFile, Ubisoft staff members have raised concerns about the company’s partnership with the Saudi Arabian government and whether it would tarnish its reputation, to which the management provided a non-answer.
The management said that the main reason Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot visited Saudi Arabia was due to being part of a delegation together with French President Emmanuel Macron, and that it was only a diplomatic tool to use to expand France’s influence and reach around the world.
In January, a French newspaper reported that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC has received funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a sovereign wealth fund controlling about $941 billion.
Ubisoft’s management tried to differentiate the country’s leader and the chairman of the PIF, Mohammed bin Salman, and the PIF itself, saying that the PIF’s money is not bin Salman’s. Additionally, they also said that talking to partners who don’t share democratic values does not mean abandoning them.
Guillemot’s visit to Saudi Arabia revealed that the company is working with the UNESCO site AlUla, an ancient Arabian oasis city. The CEO pointed out that not much is known about the place and that “we are creating content that will be given for free to players that play Mirage, and they will be able to go in that site.”
Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s DLC is expected to arrive by the end of 2025. It will bring an additional story chapter, missions and gameplay improvements.
The game is available on PlayStation 4 and 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and iPadOS.
