Ubisoft virtually save Notre Dame

Paris-based videogames company Ubisoft have responded to the destruction of the Notre-Dame Cathedral by donating €500,000 to the reconstruction effort.

“As the smoke clears on the events that unfolded on Monday at the Notre-Dame de Paris, we stand in solidarité with our fellow Parisians and everyone around the world moved by the devastation the fire caused,” Ubisoft wrote on Facebook. “Notre-Dame is an integral part of Paris, a city to which we are deeply connected. Seeing the monument in peril like this affected us all.”

The Notre-Dame Cathedral was badly burnt in an accident that claimed the building’s spire.

Assassin’s Creed: Unity has a to-scale replica of the cathedral as part of its in-game world. The game’s creators made a detailed scan of the building that may prove useful in the reconstruction.

The in-game version was designed by Senior Level Artist Caroline Miousse, whose recreation of the Cathedral took more than two years. While the game’s recreation is faithful to the original design, the interior art that adorns the cathedral was changed for copyright purposes.  

During the game’s story, the player character Arno encounters an enemy at the Cathedral during Mass.

Ubisoft have also made the game free for a month so that players can encounter the cathedral. It is available for download here.  

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor