Ubisoft Cites “Technical Error” For Recent In-Game Pop-Up Fiasco

Update: Ubisoft has since released an official statement regarding the matter, explaining its intent behind the appearance of the pop-up ad. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), it’s been stated, 

We have been made aware that some players encountered a pop-up message in-game while playing certain Assassin’s Creed titles yesterday. This was the result of a technical error that has now been fixed. Our intention was to display a promotion for Assassin’s Creed Mirage as part of the franchise news in the main menu of other Assassin’s Creed games. Unfortunately, this technical error caused the promotion to appear in one of our in-game menus instead. We want to ensure the best player experience possible, and these disruptive pop-ups were promptly removed once we learned of the issue.”

In recent times, a player posted on Reddit, showcasing how they came across an in-game pop-up advertisement while playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, with the ad specifically appearing after hitting the pause menu. This enraged the community for obvious reasons, with many turning to boycotts already. Speaking to The Verge, Ubisoft has clarified that all this was merely a “technical error” and nothing more. 

We have been made aware that some players encountered pop-up ads while playing certain Assassin’s Creed titles yesterday. This was the result of a technical error that we addressed as soon as we learned of the issue,” said Ubisoft spokesperson Fabien Darrigues. 

If not for the clarification made by the Ubisoft official, things would have gotten real ugly, real fast. Commenting on the clip, LostSoulNo1981 said, “Totally unacceptable. If they want to advertise their newest game with a tile on the main menu before you start, like they have done for years now, that’s a bit more acceptable. But forcing it into the in-game menus is not.” 

Redditor u/triddell24 shared the clip on the r/xboxone subreddit, which involves them trying to open the map in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Once they press the relevant button to do so, a banner appears on the screen, trying to sell Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which is 20% off right now thanks to Black Friday. It’s visible here that you can either press the “A” button to head straight to the store page or exit by hitting “B.” 

Come to think of it, it’s not like the advertisement manifested in Odyssey all by itself—some sort of work, specifically code-related, must have been incorporated to make the ad appear as it did. The lack of explanation by Ubisoft does come across as worrisome to many, but here’s hoping positively that this is the last of what we’ve seen of the pop-up. 

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage made landfall on October 5, 2023, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, focusing on stealth-based gameplay more than its RPG-driven predecessors. eXputer reviewed the game in a separate article, rating it 3.5/5 and highlighting its creative levels, fluid parkour, and intriguing cast, while calling out the action-adventure’s gimmicky melee combat and stale narrative.