Ubisoft's Saudi-funded Assassin's Creed DLC provokes staff unrest, but the publisher insists partnering with the controversial regime is A-OK: 'Talking with partners who do not share our democratic values ​​does not mean abandoning them'

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In a surprise announcement last month, Ubisoft revealed that 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage would be receiving a hefty free DLC. A new map and quests for a two year-old game, and no charge? Such largesse is only possible thanks to the involvement of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has made many gaming investments as part of its mission to detoxify the image of the brutal petrol state.

The DLC will see Basim, Mirage's protagonist, visiting AlUla, an ancient city key to Saudi Arabian culture. It was also announced by Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot in Riyadh at the New Global Sport Conference, an event that ran alongside the Saudi-funded Esports World Cup.