 "Ubisoft said that the in-game model was not a precise reconstruction but an artistic interpretation. Image courtesy: X/@pcgamer")
The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in France reopened its doors last week, five years after a catastrophic fire severely damaged the 850-year-old monument.
As worshippers gathered for the first mass on Sunday, December 8, an old conspiracy theory reemerged online. It claims that 3D models of Notre Dame created by Ubisoft for the 2014 video game Assassin’s Creed Unity were helpful in the building’s restoration.
Since the fire, some social media users have suggested that Ubisoft provided authorities with detailed digital models and photographs to help the reconstruction of the medieval structure. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this speculation.
The rebuilding of Notre Dame was made possible through exceptional craftsmanship, nearly $1 billion in donations from around the world, and a shared resolve to restore the historic site to its former glory.
Did Assassin’s Creed Unity help build the building?
The action-adventure game, Assassin’s Creed Unity, released in 2014, was the eighth instalment in the popular series and a successor to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Its main storyline developed during the French Revolution, with a detailed model of Notre Dame Cathedral serving as a key location, which was created in 14 months.
Following the 2019 fire, claims emerged that the game’s digital representation had been used in the cathedral’s reconstruction. However, according to Polygon, Ubisoft clarified it had no role in the rebuilding process.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2019, a studio spokesperson said, “We are not currently involved in the reconstruction of Notre Dame, but we would be more than happy to lend our expertise in any way that we can to help with these efforts.”
Ubisoft also stated that the in-game model was not a precise reconstruction but an artistic interpretation. “While we wanted to be very precise with details, there are some differences in terms of scale,” the spokesperson added.
How Ubisoft developed Notre Dame for the game
Notably, the version of Notre Dame in Assassin’s Creed Unity is impressive but it was designed with creative liberties for gameplay, level design, and compliance with copyright.
Caroline Miousse, Associate Art Director at Ubisoft Montreal and known for developing the in-game Notre Dame, dismissed rumours about its use in reconstruction. She said that designers relied on photos, blueprints, books, and Google for their recreation.
She said in 2019, “We were able to find a lot of blueprints showing us exactly how Notre Dame was constructed. [Maxime Durand, “Assassin’s Creed” historian] helped me a lot with it because he has the historical background. I have tons of books, too. Google was also my best friend for a while. You can just find so much stuff on the internet now.”
She added, “But it also really just helped me a lot to talk to people. It’s very difficult to take a big picture of Notre Dame and capture every single detail. You really have to take a bunch of pictures of everything and put them all together like a puzzle. I can re-create every single little detail of Notre Dame, but I also want to talk to people who have been there so I can know what it’s supposed to feel like…”
Despite its detailed recreation, the game’s Notre Dame was an artistic interpretation rather than a scientific replica. Speaking to French newspaper Le Monde, Denis Lachaud, CEO of Life3D, a company that scanned Notre Dame before the fire, said, “The people behind Assassin’s Creed did an amazing job. But these are graphic artists, very skilful, who work based on photographs and blueprints that they’ve recovered. They’re looking for a coherent visual.”
“But if a statue is two metres taller than in reality, it’s not important for them. We are looking for millimetric precision, we work with engineers, with data analysts.”
While Ubisoft wasn’t involved in rebuilding Notre Dame, they did contribute $565,000 to the effort and offered free Windows PC copies of Assassin’s Creed Unity for a week to honour the cathedral’s cultural significance. If the game’s models had played a role, Ubisoft would have undoubtedly publicised it.
The reopening of Notre Dame
The word “Merci” illuminated the front of Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday, marking its symbolic reopening after the devastating fire nearly destroyed the 860-year-old Gothic masterpiece.
The cathedral’s bells tolled as Archbishop Laurent Ulrich ceremonially reopened its doors by striking them three times with his crozier. First responders and restoration workers received a standing ovation for their key roles in saving and restoring the historic structure.
President Emmanuel Macron , addressing the gathering, said, “I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral.”
“France has achieved the impossible,” he added, praising the swift renovation.
The ceremony, attended by notable guests including US President-elect Donald Trump , honoured the collective efforts that preserved Notre-Dame.
The fire on April 15, 2019, shocked the world as Parisians and millions of viewers watched the flames consume the roof and topple the iconic spire.
Over five years, thousands of experts, including carpenters, stonemasons, and stained glass artists, worked tirelessly using traditional techniques to restore the cathedral to its former glory.
With inputs from agencies