Following a report that went viral yesterday about how Assassin’s Creed Unity’s amazingly accurate 3D mapping of the Notre Dame Cathedral could be used in restoration efforts following a tragic fire, Ubisoft has officially pledged their help with rebuilding.
“As the smoke clears on the events that unfolded on Monday at the Notre-Dame de Paris, we stand in solidarité with our fellow Parisians and everyone around the world moved by the devastation the fire caused,” began a new blog post from the studio. “Notre-Dame is an integral part of Paris, a city to which we are deeply connected. Seeing the monument in peril like this affected us all.”
The team mentioned how they would be donating to the cause in addition to how players can revisit the cathedral for themselves with Assassin’s Creed Unity – for free! According to Ubisoft, “In light of Monday’s events, we will be donating €500,000 to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the Cathedral. We encourage all of you who are interested to donate as well. In addition, we want to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how. For one week, we will be giving Assassin’s Creed Unity away free on PC, for anyone who wants to enjoy it.”
The free copy of the game can be downloaded here, or directly through the Uplay store.
They ended their pledge for help by saying that video games offer players a chance to explore places with no limits, in places and ways “we never could have otherwise imagined.” As reconstruction efforts begin, those saddened by the destruction can at least pay homage in-game.
As for how the game could help with those same efforts, you can read more about that with our previous coverage here.