Set during the French Revolution, Assassin’s Creed Unity featured Notre Dame, which was meticulously modeled over a span of 14 months, playing a central role in the game’s missions.
France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral reopened last week, five years after a devastating fire destroyed the 850-year-old landmark. As the first mass was held on Sunday (Dec 8), rumors resurfaced claiming that Ubisoft’s 3D models of Notre Dame, created for the 2014 Assassin’s Creed Unity video game, were used in the restoration of the cathedral. Since the fire, some on social media have suggested that the French publisher shared its original 3D models and photos with authorities to aid in the rebuilding process.
Assassin’s Creed Unity was the eighth game in the Assassin’s Creed series, following Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013). Set in Paris during the French Revolution, the game featured Notre Dame, which was meticulously modeled over a period of 14 months, playing a significant role in the early missions.
However, the claims are not true, according to a report from Polygon. When asked about assisting with the reconstruction, Ubisoft clarified that it had not been involved in the effort. “We are not currently involved in the reconstruction of Notre Dame, but we would be happy to lend our expertise in any way we can,” a studio spokesperson told The Guardian in 2019.
The spokesperson also emphasized that the in-game rendering was not a scientific reconstruction but an artistic interpretation. “While we aimed for precision in detail, there are differences in scale and design for gameplay and copyright purposes,” the spokesperson explained.
Despite the impressive visual accuracy in the game, Ubisoft’s depiction of Notre Dame took creative liberties for gameplay design and other considerations.
Caroline Miousse, the Associate Art Director at Ubisoft Montreal and the person widely credited with creating Unity’s Notre Dame, also dismissed the rumors, clarifying that the art team used photos, blueprints, books, and Google to recreate the cathedral for the game.
“We found a lot of blueprints that showed us exactly how Notre Dame was built. Maxime Durand, the Assassin’s Creed historian, was a huge help because of his historical knowledge. I also had tons of books, and Google was my best friend for a while. You can find so much online now,” Miousse explained.
While photos and videos can help create a game model, they don’t provide the level of detail required for a massive reconstruction like Notre Dame’s.
“The team behind Assassin’s Creed did a fantastic job, but they are graphic artists working with photographs and blueprints. They’re focused on creating a visually coherent representation,” said Denis Lachaud, CEO of Life3D, a company that scanned Notre Dame before the fire, in an interview with Le Monde. “However, if a statue is two meters taller than in reality, it doesn’t matter to them. We, on the other hand, need millimeter precision and work with engineers and data analysts.”
Ubisoft did not perform the kind of detailed scans needed for a full reconstruction, as their goal was not to create a perfect replica.
Had Ubisoft been involved in the actual rebuilding of the cathedral, it would have likely publicized the collaboration, as it did when it donated $565,000 to Notre Dame and offered free Windows PC copies of the game for a week.
