The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris began yesterday, celebrated with the usual opening ceremony, which in this case also had a characteristic video game guest: many will surely have recognized Arno, the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Unity, among the bearers of the Olympic flame during the opening celebrations.
Video game enthusiasts will surely have recognized the strange hooded figure dressed in a bizarre outfit reminiscent of those from the time of the French Revolution, who carried the Olympic flame from the rooftops of Paris during the ceremony, while delegations from various countries paraded along the Seine.
Between the parkour-style movements and the particular costume, it’s clear that the character in question was reminiscent of Arno Dorian from Assassin’s Creed Unity, the protagonist of the chapter in question, set in revolutionary Paris.
A Murderer on the Roofs of Paris at the Olympics
Confirmation came, albeit somewhat cryptic, from Ubisoft itself: “Who is that mysterious figure carrying the torch?” asked the official Olympic Games account. “He looks familiar,” Ubisoft responded via its Assassin’s Creed account, effectively confirming the connection.
In fact, it makes sense: Ubisoft is a large French publisher that has Assassin’s Creed as its flagship product, and we can also add to this the fact that the birth of parkour was placed in France in the 80s, so there is a sporting connection to everything.
In any case, the series has now become a sort of symbol of the country, and given the general self-celebration that emerged from the opening ceremony, it was a rather sensible reference.
