French game publisher Ubisoft is giving away copies of Assassin’s Creed Unity free for the next week in support of the devastating fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Ubisoft is also donating 500,000 euros to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the historic cathedral.
“As the smoke clears on the events that unfolded on Monday at the Notre-Dame de Paris, we stand in solidarité with our fellow Parisians and everyone around the world moved by the devastation the fire caused,” states a news release from the company. “Notre-Dame is an integral part of Paris, a city to which we are deeply connected. Seeing the monument in peril like this affected us all.”
A devastating fire, which has since been determined to be an accident, tore through the revered Gothic cathedral on Monday, toppling its spire. The Paris Fire Brigade tweeted that the cathedral's stone construction has been "saved," as have the "main works of art."
RELATED: Paris official says Notre Dame Fire was an accident, wasn't intentional
Assassin’s Creed Unity, which is set in Paris during the French Revolution, normally retails for $30. Between April 17 and April 25 at 3 a.m. local time, anyone can head here to download the game for free on PC. Players have to create or login to a Uplay account but will own the copy forever in their game library.
“Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined,” the release states. “We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture.”
View a trailer for the game that features a virtual view of the cathedral:
Caroline Miousse, a level artist on Assassin’s Creed Unity, spent about two years painstakingly recreating a virtual version of the Notre Dame in-game, according to a 2014 article from TheVerge.
Miousse pored over photos and work closely with texture artists to ensure every brick of the massive building — the largest in the game world — was as it should be. She even worked with historians to determine the exact paintings that would be hung on the walls in 18th-Century Paris.
One slight variation: the cathedral did not yet have its iconic spires in 1789, but because most people envision them when they think of Notre Dame, Miousse decided to add them to her creation anyway.
Ubisoft is encouraging others to donate to the restoration of the Notre Dame. Friends of the Notre Dame is a 501c3 public charity dedicated to the restoration of the cathedral.
