A recent report indicates that employees at Ubisoft have expressed apprehensions regarding a proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia

Concerns have been raised by Ubisoft employees regarding the firm's purported interactions with Saudi Arabia, as reported by Stephen Totilo of Game File on September 10, 2025. It was highlighted that staff had internally questioned Ubisoft’s alleged engagement with the country subsequent to revelations that key figures including CEO Yves Guillemot had visited Saudi Arabia with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2024. This visit included meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and other Saudi officials.

The Game File article noted that an inquiry was posed by a member of Ubisoft’s Social and Economic Committee asking if attempting to secure a contract with an individual accused of serious crimes equated to the negative perception currently faced by the company, known as "Ubi-bashing."

According to Game File, Ubisoft’s management reportedly acknowledged Guillemot’s presence on the trip, framing it as a participation in developing France's cultural and technological influence without confirming or denying any partnerships, stating: "We do not comment on rumors."

Ubisoft’s leadership further distinguished between Mohammed Bin Salman himself and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The company expressed a view that engaging with entities not sharing their democratic values doesn’t imply endorsing them, thus separating PIF's financial contributions from the Crown Prince’s actions.

The CSE reportedly criticized this perspective as naive, pointing out a lack of response concerning potential reputational impacts due to interactions with Saudi Arabia.

In a separate report from January 2025 by Les Echos, Ubisoft was said to have possibly entered a partnership with Savvy Games Group, associated with Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund. This partnership supposedly concerned the development of DLC for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, contradicting earlier statements from developers about the game being created without DLC considerations.

While Ubisoft has not formally acknowledged collaborations with Savvy Games Group or Saudi Arabia, the company revealed on August 23, 2025, that a new free DLC for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, set in ninth-century AlUla, Saudi Arabia, would be available later in the year. The DLC’s existence was initially announced by Guillemot at a conference in Riyadh.

When questioned on whether the PIF financed the new Mirage content, Ubisoft indicated that collaboration was facilitated by both local and international bodies, ensuring the historical accuracy of the setting through expert consultation.

Update: Ubisoft, when contacted by GamesIndustry.biz, reiterated their statement made to Game File. This statement emphasized the creation of the DLC with support from various organizations to provide an authentic portrayal.