Earlier this week, the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral caught on fire. The historically significant building was damaged, andbillionshave already been pledged to assist with reconstruction. In the wake of these events, publisher Ubisoft is pledging a hefty donation of its own, encouraging players to donate as well, and is offeringAssassin’s Creed Unityfor free on PC so players can visit their virtual recreation of Notre-Dame.
In a post onUbisoft’s blog, the publisher confirmed that it would be “donating €500,000 to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the Cathedral.” As the most prominent French publisher in the gaming industry, it is nice gesture for them donate to the reconstruction of this iconic French landmark.
Ubisoft also comes up in the Notre-Dame de Paris discussion due to their intricate recreation of the cathedral in 2014’sAssassin’s Creed Unity.While that game was subject to severaltechnical issues at launch, it lovingly and accurately recreated Notre-Dame, which survived through the French Revolution. Because Ubisoft wants “to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how,” they are giving the PC versionAssassin’s Creed Unityaway for free this week.
Those who want to try outAssassin’s Creed Unityfor PC to see Notre-Dame de Paris for themselves can currently pick the game up for freeon Uplayor theUbisoft Store. The publisher ended its post about this donation in a somber but respectful manner that pays tribute to the great cathedral:
When we created Assassin’s Creed Unity, we developed an even closer connection with this incredible city and its landmarks – one of the most notable elements of the game was the extraordinary recreation of Notre-Dame. Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined. We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture.
If you want to donate to help reconstruct Notre-Dame de Paris, you canvisit this online portalthe French government set up that features the organizations collecting donations for the effort. If you don’t have a PC but still want to see Notre-Dame de Paris in-game,Assassin’s Creed Unityis also available for PS4 and Xbox One.
