The most recent game that gave a Middle East city some love is Battlefield 2042. it consisted of a massive multiplayer map of Doha, Qatar (even down to recreations of some landmarks). Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia is looking to be the next city to get the gaming treatment. This will be in the form of DLC for one of Ubisoft’s acclaimed gaming franchises.
The official announcement came from the developer/publisher account and even the game’s official account on X. This was following Gamescom and during the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. It’ll be coming to Assassin’s Creed Mirage as a free DLC. That also flips the previous official news of the game not getting any additional DLC.
Promoting Saudi Arabia within gaming
A report in early 2025 indicated Ubisoft meeting with Savvy Group Games (a PIF company), with CEO Yves Guillemot attending in person. After all, the main game itself was made by Ubisoft Bordeaux. PIF also has stakes in other gaming companies including Nintendo, EA, and Activision.
This new free DLC is being positioned as a new story chapter and missions set in 9th-century Al-Ula. For some geography knowledge, it’s an ancient Arabian oasis city located in the Medina Province of Saudi Arabia. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site with more than 7,000 years of history and towering rock formations. Makes it a perfect place for practicing Assassin’s Creed in-game parkour, given its geographic size.
Though the game released in 2023, the game’s setting in Baghdad definitely drew the attention for its Middle East setting. Plus, the support of Savvy Group Games definitely explains the location setting given the umbrella company likely financing its development.
There aren’t any more details beyond the announcement except for the confirmation it’ll be releasing before the end of 2025. There’s been no clarity on which platforms it’ll be released; it was a cross-gen release for the consoles, PC, and Apple devices. Given the scope, this almost feels like a full-fledged expansion yet it’s being given for free.
You can already play the game on PC as it’s been added to PC Game Pass since the beginning of August. If you’re excited to see Al-Ula in gaming form, better get your copy of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. You can also enjoy the music made with OneRepublic for the game.
Image Credit: Ubisoft
