Assassin’s Creed Unity Is Free For The Next Week

The good news is, Assassin’s Creed Unity — the 2014 installment of Ubisoft’s long-running action video game series — is free of charge for the next week. The bad news is, it took the destruction of one of the world’s most beloved structures to make it happen.

The Notre Dame Cathedral plays a big role in Assassin’s Creed Unity, which is set during the French Revolution — a time in which the cathedral was ransacked and burglarized. It serves as a reminder that Notre Dame has faced destruction before and survived…the spire that fell into the flames this week was not even its original spire, which was taken down in the 1600’s. The version we lost was built in the mid-1800’s.

The giveaway is intended to spread awareness about the Notre Dame restoration fund, which has raised nearly a billion dollars at last check. “Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined,” said an Ubisoft rep. “We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture.”

Assassin’s Creed Unity will remain free until April 25 at midnight, at which point it will revert to its original price of $29.99. Get your free copy at this link. You will need an Ubisoft account to “purchase” it, and the discount will only be applied after the sale goes through (just trust it).