Yes, that’s an Assassin’s Creed character carrying the torch at the Paris opening ceremony
The crossover we never saw coming.
The 20204 Paris Olympics actually had a characters from Assassin’s Creed front-and-center as the driving force of the opening ceremony. It’s one of the wildest, least-predictable crossovers imaginable, yet here we are.
So proud to be French this evening and to share with you our passion for #AssassinsCreed for so many years...
— Assassin’s Creed Univers (@ACUnivers) July 26, 2024
Let's celebrate with a little montage that I made with videos from the #JO2024PARIS ceremony ! ❤️
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ! #Paris2024 #AssassinsCreedUnity pic.twitter.com/gvWTf5DE9J
A parkour runner dressed in the iconic assassin clothes from the game carried the torch over the rooftops of Paris on the way to the lighting of the cauldron. No, this wasn’t just an subtle nod — it was planned, and it was endorsed by the game’s creators.
Keep an eye on Paris' rooftops—Arno might just be watching from above. pic.twitter.com/opqDU04Xgo
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) July 26, 2024
Arno Dorian was the protagonist of 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity — which was set in Paris amid the backdrop of the French revolution. Developer Ubisoft is headquartered in France, with the series having special reverence.
There has been a significant movement in these Olympic games to appeal to a younger generation. Breaking (competitive breakdancing) is making its debut in the games, and adding in video game references into the opening ceremony is just a further extension of that.