Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Yes, that’s an Assassin’s Creed character carrying the torch at the Paris opening ceremony

The crossover we never saw coming.

James Dator
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

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.

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.

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.

See More:

More in Olympics

Olympics
Banning transgender women from the Olympics is pandering to bigotsBanning transgender women from the Olympics is pandering to bigots
Olympics

The IOC achieves one huge goal by passing this rule change: Not catching strays from President Trump

By James Dator
Olympics
Cooper Lutkenhaus makes indoor track history at World ChampionshipsCooper Lutkenhaus makes indoor track history at World Championships
Olympics

Texas high school junior Cooper Lutkenhaus just made track history at the Indoor World Championships

By Mark Schofield
Olympics
US Sled Hockey Paralympians Malik Jones, Josh Pauls on winning 5th-straight gold medalUS Sled Hockey Paralympians Malik Jones, Josh Pauls on winning 5th-straight gold medal
Olympics

US Sled Hockey won its fifth-straight Paralympic gold medal in Milan, and Malik Jones and Josh Pauls joined SB Nation to talk about it.

By RJ Ochoa
Olympics
Hilary Knight will never forget what just happened at the OlympicsHilary Knight will never forget what just happened at the Olympics
Olympics

Gold medalist and Team USA women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight spoke with SB Nation about her Olympic experience and what it takes to succeed.

By RJ Ochoa
Olympics
Paralympics star Brenna Huckaby on losing her leg, picking up snowboarding, and what Games mean to herParalympics star Brenna Huckaby on losing her leg, picking up snowboarding, and what Games mean to her
Olympics

An interview with Brenna Huckaby, a Team USA Paralympics star in snowboarding.

By Mark Schofield

Comments
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...