Will Ubisoft start showing ads in its games?

Ubisoft, one of the leading companies in the gaming industry, has recently been the target of criticism for allegedly publishing pop-up ads on the loading screens of old Assassin’s Creed games. Reports from users on various gaming platforms indicate that these in-game ads are promoting a Black Friday deal for the latest game in the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

A statement came from Ubisoft regarding the advertisement that appeared

The controversy arose when a user shared a video on Xbox One’s Reddit page, showing an intrusive ad experience when attempting to access the map in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the 2018 game of the series. Before allowing the player to continue, the game displayed a full-screen advertisement for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which had to be closed manually before the game could continue. It appears that these pop-ups may occur once per gaming session, and some users are experiencing similar interruptions when launching the game.

These types of ad practices are more commonly associated with mobile games, and so far AAA games on consoles and PC have largely avoided such disruptions. The gaming community has opposed attempts to serve intrusive ads, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an immersive and uninterrupted gaming experience. Ubisoft’s foray into this space has angered and dismayed many gamers, especially in light of the company’s recent exploration of controversial concepts like NFTs.

Responding to the reactions, Ubisoft made a statement to Rock Paper Shotgun, attributing the in-game pop-up ads to a “technical error” and stated that this error was immediately fixed after it was noticed. Although the company claimed that the issue was resolved, the incident reignited discussions about the boundaries between monetization strategies and player experience.

Traditionally, game companies have used areas in main menus to advertise related games or downloadable content, a practice that has generally been tolerated by players. However, embedding ads directly within the gaming experience is viewed by many as unacceptable and disrupts the intended immersive nature of the gaming environment.

While the gaming community evaluates this latest development, it remains to be seen whether Ubisoft’s statement will be enough to quell discontent or whether other steps will need to be taken to rebuild players’ trust and preserve the integrity of the gaming experience.

Because players do not believe Ubisoft’s “technical error” explanation and think that they are using this ad showing as a reaction measurement. What are you thinking? Please don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.