Assassin's Creed Unity players will be getting upcoming campaign DLC Dead Kings to make up for the glitch-packed launch of the game, developer and publisher Ubisoft announced today.
The team continues to work on patches for remaining issues, according to the post.
People who have already purchased the season pass, which includes Dead Kings, will be given a choice of one free game from the following list: The Crew, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Rayman Legends or Just Dance 2015. Ubisoft has also discontinued the sale of Unity's season pass.
"The launch of Assassin's Creed Unity was a highly-anticipated moment for me and for our development teams around the world who dedicated a tremendous amount of energy, passion and skill to the game's creation," wrote Yannis Mallat, CEO for Ubisoft Montreal and Toronto. "For us, it was the culmination of years of work on new technologies, the development of multiple innovations — including an all-new game engine — and an evolution of the Assassin's Creed franchise's core pillars. More importantly, we know that it was a highly-anticipated moment for many of you as well, as you looked forward to taking part in the first truly next generation Assassin's Creed game.
"Unfortunately, at launch, the overall quality of the game was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues. I want to sincerely apologize on behalf of Ubisoft and the entire Assassin's Creed team. These problems took away from your enjoyment of the game, and kept many of you from experiencing the game at its fullest potential."
The various versions of Unity had hundreds of bugs, some nearly game-breaking, when the game came out on Nov. 11. Over the course of the following weeks, Ubisoft developers released multiple major patches, and a number of small fixes, to repair some of the biggest problems found in the game.
Issues at launch included protagonist Arno Dorian falling through the ground and getting stuck in hay carts, problems with the in-game currencies, and characters with missing faces ... but not eyes.
Mallat added that the team has been working hard to fix the problems players are reporting, and that the patches already released have resolved many of them. A third patch will be released today, which should deal with the game's stability and performance, matchmaking and connectivity, gameplay, and menus.
"In addition to the latest patch and this offer, we are committed to delivering further fixes for other issues you've raised," Mallat said. "In the meantime, please keep your feedback coming — it has been both humbling and incredibly helpful as we continue working hard to improve the overall quality of the game. We are hopeful that with these forthcoming updates, everyone will be able to truly enjoy their Assassin's Creed Unity experience."
Ubisoft says it is in the process of setting up a system for selecting your free game if you are a season pass holder, and that season pass holders will still receive the other benefits of the pass, including Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China. The free Dead Kings DLC still doesn't have a release date, but Ubisoft says it will be available soon.
Dead Kings, which was meant to be sold separately and as part of Unity's season pass, has Arno traveling to the rural city of Saint Denis following the events of Unity in 1794. You'll get a chance to explore the city and its ancient underground necropolis, which hides the "best-kept secrets of the French kings."
"Use Arno's lantern to advance in the dark, fend off the animals creeping around the catacombs, and solve ancestral puzzles. Alternatively, put out the lantern and become one with the shadows," according to the description of the DLC.
Along with the patch issues, Unity's review was embargoed until 12 hours after it went on sale, leading some to accuse the developer of trying to hide the problems with the title.
Ubisoft has since said that was not the case and that they are revising both their pre-release testing methods and review policies. Earlier this week, Ubisoft told players not to trust any "early reviews" for its upcoming game The Crew.
"While we fully anticipate that you might see some reviews immediately at launch — largely built around the preview sessions we facilitated during the past months or the limited content of the closed and open betas — they won't be based on optimal conditions or reflect the finished game," they wrote.
Issues with Ubisoft's recent games, Far Cry 4 and Unity, are a reflection of a bigger issue with many of this generation's games: They're sold needing a patch.
That often seems to be tied with developers' desire to create "living worlds" that blend the single-player and multiplayer aspects of a game, relying heavily on internet connections.
Mallat wrapped up his letter by promising to continue to push the envelope on the Assassin's Creed franchise.
"We will continue striving to make Assassin's Creed one of the most ambitious and innovative franchises on the market," he wrote, "and we thank you for your continued loyalty and support."