THE Paris 2024 Olympics are well underway now, after kicking off on Friday with a unique rain-soaked and star-studded opening ceremony.
Among the numerous acts performed on the banks of the River Seine, one element stood out to eagle-eyed video game fans.
The masked torchbearer, who led audiences through the four-hour-long Paris 2024 opening ceremony, looked quite familiar to fans of the Assassin’s Creed series.
The hooded figure who parkoured their way through the rooftops of Paris carrying the Olympic flame was seen by many as an unmistakeable nod to the popular game franchise.
The Assassin’s Creed series has been running for more than 15 years now, and both parkour and hooded protagonists have been staples of its gameplay and story.
One of the series’ entries, which turns 10 this year, Assassin’s Creed Unity, is set in Paris during the French Revolution.
Game-savvy viewers were quick to point out that the masked torchbearer looks a lot like Arno, the game’s protagonist.
As Arno Dorian, players spend hours freerunning through the game’s detailed rendition of revolutionary Paris, which includes the most faithful reproduction of the city’s Notre Dame cathedral in a game.
In 2019, after a fire destroyed parts of Notre Dame, publisher Ubisoft made the game free for 10 days and announced a £433,000 contribution to the monument’s rebuilding efforts.
The game’s detailed 3D model of the famous church has been used as reference during the restoration works.
The fact that the series’ publisher is a French multinational company also fuelled fan speculation that the segment is indeed a nod to the games.
A post on Twitter/X from Assassin’s Creed’s official account, teasing Arno’s appearance on Paris’ rooftops, all but confirmed fan theories.
While not an official appearance of the brand, the apparent nod to the video games at such high-profile event delighted fans.
Some even called for the masked torchbearer’s exact outfit to be included in the Assassin’s Creed games.
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