State fund involved? DLC for "Assassin's Creed Mirage" set in Saudi Arabia
Two years after its release, "Assassin's Creed Mirage" is getting a new, free DLC. "Valley of Memory" is set in Saudi Arabia.
(Image: Ubisoft)
“Assassin's Creed Mirage” is getting new content after a long period of radio silence. Two years after its release, developer Ubisoft has announced a free DLC called “Valley of Memory,” which all players will receive on November 18. It takes the protagonist, Basim, to the city of Al-Ula, which is now located in Saudi Arabia. The main game is set in Baghdad.
Ubisoft promises that the DLC will offer a total of around 6 hours of new content. In addition, some game mechanics, including the parkour system, have been revised. It is particularly remarkable that the DLC exists at all: “Assassin's Creed Mirage” was released at the end of 2023 and has only received a few significant updates since then. There is now a newer, significantly larger series spin-off, Assassin's Creed Shadows. Not many fans had expected “Mirage” to be provided with new content again.
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Saudi sovereign wealth fund involved?
Larger free DLCs are also not necessarily part of the DNA of the “Assassin's Creed” series. The French newspaper Les Echos reported earlier this year that the Saudi sovereign wealth fund was involved in the development of the Saudi Arabia DLC for “Assassin's Creed Mirage.” Ubisoft has never officially confirmed this involvement but has not explicitly denied it either. Company boss Yves Guillemot announced the DLC at an event in Riyadh.
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The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (Public Investment Fund, PIF) has been investing in the games industry for years and has bought the developers of “Pokémon Go,” among others. It recently caused a stir as part of the planned EA deal: Together with two investment firms, the sovereign wealth fund is planning to acquire the US publisher for USD 55 billion. Investments in e-sports and the games industry are intended to improve the kingdom's image and open up sources of income outside of oil.
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