What historical period is the main setting of Assassin's Creed Unity?

The French Revolution is the main historical setting of Assassin's Creed Unity.

The game begins in 1789 and follows Arno Dorian as political unrest transforms Paris. The French Revolution began with the meeting of the Estates-General and the storming of the Bastille, then developed through years of violence, political upheaval, and changing institutions.

Unity uses major events and locations from this period as the backdrop for its fictional Assassin–Templar story. Arno's personal search for the truth unfolds alongside the rise of revolutionary factions and the collapse of the old political order. Paris is the game's principal city and is recreated with landmarks such as Notre-Dame.

The French Revolution is distinct from the American Revolution, which forms the historical background of Assassin's Creed III. Unity was released in 2014 and is set more than two decades later, making the two games adjacent in broad historical chronology but different in place and political context.