Ubisoft may have started testing pop-up ads during the course of gameplay in its action role-playing game, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
It has been reported over social media that Ubisoft may be in the process of testing in-game pop-up ads that play during the course of gameplay. As seen in the video below, an advertisement for the Black Friday sale offer on Assassin’s Creed Mirage played as a pop-up during the middle of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey gameplay.
Il semble qu'Ubisoft expérimente la publicité en jeu chez certains utilisateurs (Xbox et PS).
Vous êtes au milieu de votre jeu, accédez à la pause ou à la Map et vous avez pendant 3sec. une pub pour un autre jeu qui s'affiche. Suffisant pour désinstaller ? 😅 pic.twitter.com/m5S4rEXas5
— Fab ✨ (@Fab_XS_) November 23, 2023
To be fair, the 3-second advertisment only seems to have appeared when the map screen was brought up and not during moment to moment gameplay, though even that can be intrusive to the experience.
The Verge’s Tom Warren has shared that Ubisoft claims the appearance of the advertisement during gameplay happened as a result of a “technical error.” We’ll take the Assassin’s Creed creator’s word for it, though it does offer a fascinating preview of how things could be should publishers decide to make live commercials commonplace during gameplay in future.
The latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, is set in 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, focusing on the Anarchy at Samarra. It launched on October 5, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A mobile version is slated for early 2024 on iOS for iPhone 15 Pro models.
The protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character introduced in Valhalla, joins the Hidden Ones to combat the Order of the Ancients, who seek control for peace. The narrative focuses on Basim’s internal conflict between his Hidden One duties and the quest to unveil his enigmatic past. Originally conceived as a Valhalla expansion, Mirage evolved into a standalone title for a broader scope. Developed primarily by Ubisoft Bordeaux, previously a support studio, Mirage returns to the series’ roots with an emphasis on stealth, parkour, and assassinations, departing from recent RPG-centric elements. The game is smaller in scale compared to its predecessors, combining features from recent and earlier franchise installments.
