Assassin's Creed Mirage will reportedly receive Saudi-funded DLC content later this year
It’s claimed that Savvy Games Group, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has struck a deal with Ubisoft to fund DLC content for last year’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage, with the publisher refusing to comment.
The details:
As reported by Les Echos, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot met with Savvy Games Group last month in Saudi Arabia, where the French publisher secured PIF funding to develop additional content for Mirage. Previously, the company had no plans for DLC content, instead opting to focus on the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is rumored to determine Ubisoft's future.
Following the report, Eurogamer contacted Ubisoft for comment on the situation, but a spokesperson declined to confirm, deny, or say anything about the alleged deal. "We'll decline to comment," said the spokesperson. "We are focused on finishing Assassin's Creed Shadows and excited for players to get to play it on 20th March."
Over the last decade, the PIF has drastically increased its gaming investments, with significant stakes in major players such as EA, Take-Two, Nexon, and Nintendo. While some see the additional funding as beneficial for the industry, others accuse Saudi Arabia of trying to cover up its poor human rights record, particularly in the esports space, where it hosts events with large prize pools through ESL FACEIT Group.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft has continued to struggle following a string of underperforming releases, prompting the company to discuss future options with its shareholder Tencent. Earlier this month, it was reported that the companies were in talks about launching a new venture in which some of Ubisoft's assets would be transferred in order to increase the publisher's value while giving Tencent more control. It is currently waiting to review Shadows' commercial performance after its upcoming March release before making any further decisions.
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