Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025. Separately, the Indie Game Awards later retracted its own Game of the Year and Debut Game awards for the game, saying Sandfall Interactive had confirmed generative-AI use that made it ineligible under that show’s rules. The two decisions came from different organizations; The Game Awards did not disqualify its winner.
What was disqualified—and by whom?
The Indie Game Awards announced on December 21, 2025, that it was retracting the Game of the Year and Debut Game honors it had given Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The organizers said the game was ineligible under their rule against nominating games developed using generative AI. They reported that Sandfall Interactive confirmed gen-AI art in production on the day of the awards premiere, after representatives had agreed at submission that no generative AI had been used in development. GamesBeat reproduced the organizers’ statement; PC Gamer also reported the retraction and committee’s account.
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 PS5 | $46.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PS5) | $41.74 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Art of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | $55.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Deluxe Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code] | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Original Soundtrack) | $42.39 | Buy on Amazon |
This was an Indie Game Awards eligibility decision, not a reversal by The Game Awards. The two shows have separate awards and rules.
How did the two award outcomes differ?
| Award show | Outcome for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Basis or timing |
|---|---|---|
| The Game Awards 2025 | Named Game of the Year | The official 2025 recap lists Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive’s game as the recipient. The Game Awards 2025 recap. |
| Indie Game Awards 2025 | Game of the Year and Debut Game awards retracted | On December 21, 2025, organizers said the game violated their generative-AI eligibility rule after Sandfall confirmed gen-AI art use. GamesBeat. |
What did the Indie Game Awards say?
The organizers’ statement, as reproduced by GamesBeat, said: “When it was submitted for consideration, representatives of Sandfall Interactive agreed that no gen AI was used in the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. In light of Sandfall Interactive confirming the use of gen AI art in production on the day of the Indie Game Awards 2025 premiere, this does disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from its nomination.” This is the committee’s account of the submission and later confirmation.
#1 Best Overall
- Reactive Turn-based Combat: Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and &character synergies
- Dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system
- With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, & fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break Paintress’ cycle of death
- Explore an enchanting realm populated by adversaries; Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack
Mike Towndrow of the Indie Game Awards nomination committee told PC Gamer that the show had “a hard stance against gen AI in videogames” and that the studio “did, in fact, confirm that gen AI was used in the making of Expedition 33.” Towndrow also said Sandfall had earlier agreed “that no gen AI was used in the making of the game when it was submitted to us for consideration.” Those comments describe the committee’s stated policy and rationale; they are not a finding that every awards organization has the same rule.
What AI-related assets were reported in the game?
Contemporary reports focused on placeholder textures, including artwork resembling newspaper clippings. GamesBeat reported that some assets made it into the April 2025 release, were removed within five days, and were replaced with custom work. PC Gamer reported that a patch note described the removed asset as a “placeholder texture.”
Rank #2
- Reactive Turn-based Combat - In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Build your party and level up six characters. Craft unique builds for your expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free-aim system.
- “Tomorrow Comes” - With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.
- A Hauntingly Beautiful World - Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit a special companion who can access new travel methods and secret areas in the World Map.
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.
- European/ UK version
The reports about those assets and their removal are distinct from the Indie Game Awards’ stated reason for retracting the honors: the organizers cited their eligibility policy and Sandfall’s confirmation after submission. Removing the reported placeholders did not change the organizers’ account of that eligibility decision.
What AI did the studio use, and what remains unclear?
Sandfall production director François Meurisse said in an El País interview, as quoted by GamingBible: “We used some AI, but not much.” GamingBible reported that he also explained the team concentrated its efforts on what it wanted to make. That comment does not identify a specific model, tool, or method.
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Rank #3
The cited accounts establish reported gen-AI placeholder art and the studio’s confirmation of gen-AI use, but they do not establish the exact model or method used. They also do not establish that the Indie Game Awards prohibit every kind of AI tool; the organizers described their rule in terms of games developed using generative AI. It would be inaccurate to infer from this decision a general rule for other awards or a broader claim about AI use across the game industry. GamingBible’s report includes Meurisse’s attributed comment and the eligibility wording it quoted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who received the Indie Game Awards instead?
After the retraction, the replacement winners reported were Blue Prince for Game of the Year and Sorry We’re Closed for Debut Game, according to GamesBeat and PC Gamer.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever.
- Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
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