CONTEXT AND PRODUCTION NOTE

The production of this documentary was made possible due to an exceptional combination of circumstances. By opening the doors into the creation of a new intellectual property, Playing Hard offers a unique occasion for the viewer to plunge into the heart of the gigantic video game industry, which now surpasses Hollywood in terms of revenue. More than just a look at the production process, it delves into the human theatre involved in creating and launching a major AAA video game. The film shows the challenges, conflicts, hopes, decisions, and critical moments that pave the road to a worldwide launch.

Never before have viewers been exposed to the incredible human machine that is required to create such a large-scale game. Never before has a major video game publisher opened the doors of its fortress, with complete independence, to a documentary crew.

But after several months of shooting, the director's access to For Honor 's production floor was revoked. It took many months and discussions for Ubisoft to reverse its decision and give the documentary's production team carte blanche. The documentary team was under non-disclosure agreements to ensure that no details were made public before the game was launched.

Ubisoft bet on transparency, a quality that is missing in the game industry, according to some observers. Ubisoft had no say over the final cut of the film.