In Assassin's Creed Unity, which major historical event forms the game's backdrop?

The French Revolution forms the historical backdrop of Assassin's Creed Unity.

The game is set primarily in Paris from 1789 onward, when the French Revolution transformed the country's political and social order. Players encounter major locations and events associated with revolutionary Paris, including the Bastille, the Tuileries Palace, and the Reign of Terror.

Unity follows Arno Dorian as he becomes involved with the Assassin Brotherhood while investigating the death of his adoptive father. The personal plot unfolds alongside conflicts involving revolutionary factions, royalists, and Templars.

The French Revolution should not be confused with the American Revolution, which is the setting of Assassin's Creed III. Nor is Unity mainly about the Industrial Revolution, despite its later 18th-century date. Its architecture, crowd scenes, political upheaval, and historical figures are specifically tied to revolutionary France.