Ubisoft has recently addressed the controversies surrounding the upcoming DLC of Assassin’s Creed Mirage set in Saudi Arabia and claimed that the company retains creative control over the project. After the surprise regarding the announcement of the new DLC for Assassin’s Creed Mirage subsided, multiple individuals have criticized the company for the project’s ties with Saudi Arabia, whose government is accused of having an "abysmal human rights record” by organizations such as Human Rights Watch.
Released in 2023, Assassin’s Creed Mirage was often considered a return to the series’ roots due to its smaller open world and increased focus on stealth. With the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows earlier this year, it was expected by many gamers that Ubisoft would be done with the title. However, Ubisoft announced a new free DLC for the game in August, which will be set in the ancient site of AlUla, located in Saudi Arabia.
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Ubisoft Claims It Has Full Creative Control Over Assassin's Creed Mirage's DLC
During an internal Q&A (reported by Game File and IGN), one Ubisoft employee asked management if they believe partnering with Saudi Arabia would tarnish the company’s image, considering the allegations of human rights violations in the country. According to the report, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot appeared at the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, as part of the Global Sport Conference at the time the controversial Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC was announced. Management then answered that Guillemot’s visit to Saudi Arabia was part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomacy. Later, Ubisoft reached out to Game File and IGN, where it affirmed that it had full control over the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage DLC, and that the project was only made possible because of the “support of local and international organizations, through access to experts and historians.” The more recent statement is resonant with Guillemot’s remarks about the game, when he explained that AlUla is a UNESCO site, and the free content will give players the chance to visit it digitally.
Hopefully, the upcoming DLC will be a good experience for Assassin’s Creed Mirage players, despite the concerns about its production. Assassin’s Creed Mirage was recently added to Xbox Game Pass, where it became available to a larger fan base, marking the perfect time to revisit the title.
The free DLC is not the only Assassin’s Creed-related project to be out soon. Ubisoft recently talked about the Claws of Awaji DLC for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, revealing more information about the expansion’s story and the location it’s set in. The DLC is expected to be released on September 16.
Assassin's Creed: Mirage
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 73%
- Released
- October 12, 2023
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Bordeaux
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- havok, anvilnext
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
