"Assassin's Creed Unity" is the eighth main installment in the popular "Assassin's Creed" franchise, released in November 2014. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, this action-adventure game is set during the French Revolution and allows players to control Arno Dorian in his fight against the Templars. Released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and later Stadia, "Unity" shares narrative connections with "Assassin's Creed Rogue".
Development for Assassin's Creed Unity began after the completion of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in 2010.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the predecessor to Assassin's Creed Unity, was released in 2013.
On March 19, 2014, early screenshots and the title of Assassin's Creed Unity were leaked.
Assassin's Creed Rogue, which has ties to the story in Unity, was announced in August 2014.
On August 28, 2014, the release of Assassin's Creed Unity was delayed to November.
In October 2014, Ubisoft confirmed that all console versions of Assassin's Creed Unity would have a 900p resolution. This decision, aimed at avoiding comparisons between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, sparked debate among players.
Assassin's Creed Unity was originally scheduled for release on October 28, 2014.
Assassin's Creed Unity was released in North America on November 11, 2014.
Assassin's Creed Unity was released in Europe and Australasia on November 13, 2014.
Assassin's Creed Unity was released in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2014.
In November 2014, Assassin's Creed Unity was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
After the reveal of the cooperative multiplayer mode at E3 2014, Ubisoft explained the lack of playable female avatars. Citing "the reality of production", they explained the decision was due to the significant additional work required for animations, voices, and assets.
In the game's narrative, Abstergo releases its Helix software to the public in 2014.
In February 2015, an update to Assassin's Creed Unity's companion app removed the requirement to complete goals in the app to access certain in-game content.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the successor to Assassin's Creed Unity, was released in October 2015.
In February 2016, Ubisoft announced they would not release any new Assassin's Creed games for the rest of the year. This decision came after the numerous issues with Assassin's Creed Unity and Ubisoft's commitment to improving the game mechanics for future titles.
Following the Notre Dame fire on April 15, 2019, Ubisoft offered the PC version of Assassin's Creed Unity for free from April 17 to 25, 2019. The company encouraged donations for the restoration of the cathedral.
Following the Notre-Dame fire in April 2019, there was discussion about whether the game's detailed model of the cathedral could help in reconstruction efforts.
By May 2020, Assassin's Creed Unity had sold over 10 million units.
On July 5, 2020, Ubisoft's Vice President for Editorial & Creative Services, Tommy François, was placed on disciplinary leave and later dismissed following sexual misconduct allegations. The following day, Vice President Editorial Maxime Béland resigned after facing similar accusations.
In December 2020, Assassin's Creed Unity was released on Stadia.