According to a recent report, employees at Ubisoft have expressed worries about a potential agreement with Saudi Arabia

Employees at Ubisoft have expressed concerns regarding the company's purported affiliations with Saudi Arabia.

As detailed in a piece by Game File's Stephen Totilo on September 10, 2025, several Ubisoft employees internally questioned the company's alleged interactions with Saudi Arabia earlier this year. This followed a report mentioning Ubisoft leaders, including CEO Yves Guillemot, had accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron on a visit to Saudi Arabia to meet with crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and other leaders in 2024.

Game File highlighted that a member of Ubisoft’s social and Economic Committee (CSE) confronted management about whether pursuing a contract with someone accused of serious crimes could worsen the company's current troubles.

Ubisoft is reported to have replied by emphasizing Guillemot's role in supporting France's cultural and technological influence, declining to comment on "rumours."

Management reportedly explained the distinction between MBS, implicated by the U.S. in journalist Jamal Khashoggi's assassination in 2018, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), stating that the PIF's finances are not considered as MBS's funds and that collaborating with partners who do not share democratic values does not equate to neglecting those principles.

The CSE allegedly labeled management's stance as "naive," stressing the lack of acknowledgment regarding how associations with Saudi Arabia might affect Ubisoft's reputation.

In January 2025, French publication Les Echos reported that Ubisoft had potentially partnered with Savvy Games Group, tied to Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund, for creating DLC for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Developers previously stated in a 2024 AMA (via Rock Paper Shotgun) that the game was intended to be a standalone release with no DLC plans.

While Ubisoft has not confirmed any deals with Savvy Games Group or Saudi entities, the company announced on August 23, 2025, that Assassin’s Creed Mirage will release free DLC set in 9th-century AlUla, Saudi Arabia, later this year.

This DLC was initially revealed by Guillemot in Riyadh at the New Global Sport Conference.

Upon inquiry about whether PIF funds the new DLC for Mirage, a Ubisoft spokesperson informed Game File:

"This update to Assassin's Creed Mirage was developed thanks to the backing of local and international organizations, utilizing expert insights, historians, and resources to craft an authentic setting."

Update: GamesIndustry.biz sought comment from Ubisoft on this story. The spokesperson reiterated the same response shared with Game File, stating:

"Currently, we are not providing additional details beyond the acknowledgment that this update was made possible with the help of local and international bodies, which contributed expertise and historical insights for authenticity."