Assassin’s Creed Sand Sculpture in Playa del Carmen Goes Viral

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A sand sculpture inspired by the Assassin’s Creed video game series has turned a Venezuelan artist into an online sensation in Playa del Carmen.

Josse Arenarte, whose real name is José González, spent two weeks creating the piece at Playa Fundadores ahead of the release of “Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced,” a remake of the 2013 classic that launched July 9.

“I’m at Playa Fundadores making an incredible sculpture inspired by Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced,” Arenarte said in a recent social media post.

Ubisoft, the game’s developer, shared the artwork Thursday, writing: “From the shores of the Mexican Caribbean, a block of sand transformed into a legendary artifact. Thank you to Josse Arenarte for this piece inspired by the Sun Stone and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.”

The sculpture has fueled renewed calls from fans for an Assassin’s Creed game set in Aztec and Maya civilizations, a request that has persisted for years as Ubisoft typically sets each installment in the adventure series in a different culture.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag originally launched in 2013 and became one of the best-selling and most acclaimed games of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era. Its action-adventure gameplay and Caribbean pirate setting earned it a devoted following.

The remake, titled Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, arrived July 9 on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

Arenarte, who lives in Playa del Carmen, has more than 19 years of experience sculpting detailed works on beaches across Mexico and other countries, specializing in cultural, holiday, and promotional figures inspired by films and video games.