Assassin's Creed Mirage by Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s DLC for AC: Mirage Raises Saudi Government Involvement
Highlights
- Ubisoft revealed a Mirage DLC set in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, announcing it live in Riyadh at the New Global Sport Conference, an event backed by Saudi government funding.
- The announcement has stoked debate about the timing and the potential involvement of Saudi state investment.
- Ubisoft has denied direct funding by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, but employee and public questions persist as Saudi investments in global gaming grow.
The latest expansion to Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the 2023 Ubisoft game celebrated for its nuanced treatment of Arab history, is set in the Saudi oasis of AlUla but has made headlines for more than its historical ambitions. Ubisoft announced the free add-on at an unusual hour (4 AM ET on a Saturday) timed to coincide with CEO Yves Guillemot’s keynote at Riyadh’s New Global Sport Conference, an event organized with Saudi government involvement. The move has stirred questions within Ubisoft and among industry watchers about Saudi Arabia’s financial and strategic role in the expansion’s creation, especially as the kingdom ramps up billion-dollar investments into global gaming.
Mirage’s AlUla Expansion and Saudi Ties
The details of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s new chapter are significant on several levels. Announced in August 2025, the free DLC takes players to AlUla, a UNESCO World Heritage site in present-day Saudi Arabia, building on Mirage’s reputation for careful, respectful engagement with Arab world history. Ubisoft’s CEO made the announcement from the stage in Riyadh rather than at a more conventional venue or digital showcase, and the timing matched an early-morning social media drop
A report by Game File has traced months of internal debate at Ubisoft about the relationship with Saudi partners. Some staff reportedly voiced concerns over a deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is a state-backed entity already active in major gaming deals. Ubisoft, for its part, strongly denied that the PIF funded Mirage’s new content, instead crediting access to local and international experts for the update’s historical grounding. Still, when pressed by both staff and press, Ubisoft has declined to clarify financial ties, with management emphasizing creative control and pointing to partnerships with cultural institutions and not government investors.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to remake itself as a global gaming hub are no secret, as the Esports World Cup, Qiddiya “giga project,” and acquisitions of various studios remain ongoing. For Mirage, Saudi entities reportedly offered logistical and historical consultation on AlUla, but critics note that the promotional benefits for the country are substantial and fit the kingdom’s broader soft-power goals. Ubisoft’s balancing act underscores how closely the industry’s biggest games are now possibly entwined with international politics and state spending.
Author
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
Abhimannu Das is a web journalist at Outlook India with a focus on Indian pop culture, gaming, and esports. He has over 10 years of journalistic experience and over 3,500 articles that include industry deep dives, interviews, and SEO content. He has worked on a myriad of games and their ecosystems, including Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends.
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