Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsClair Obscur: Expedition 33 was not disqualified from The Game Awards. It won that show’s 2025 Game of the Year award. The separate 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 the indie show’s rules.
Which award show disqualified Clair Obscur?
The controversy involved two separate events with different results. The Game Awards’ official 2025 recap lists Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as its Game of the Year winner. The Indie Game Awards, a separate awards program, initially gave the game both Game of the Year and Debut Game, then withdrew those honors. The Game Awards’ 2025 recap
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 PS5 | $45.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PS5) | $41.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Art of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | $55.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Deluxe Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51q7UwoLdTL._SL160_.jpg)
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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 |
| Event | Outcome for Clair Obscur | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The Game Awards 2025 | Won Game of the Year | The official recap names it as the recipient. |
| Indie Game Awards 2025 | Game of the Year and Debut Game awards were retracted | The organizers said generative-AI use made it ineligible under their policy. |
Why did the Indie Game Awards retract the awards?
The Indie Game Awards’ stated rule made games developed using generative AI ineligible for nomination. The organizers said Sandfall Interactive representatives agreed at submission that no generative AI had been used in the game’s development. They said the studio confirmed gen-AI art in production on the day of the awards premiere, December 21, 2025, and that this confirmation disqualified the game.
In a statement reproduced by GamesBeat, the organizers said the submission representation and later confirmation were the reason for the decision. Mike Towndrow of the nomination committee told PC Gamer the show had “a hard stance against gen AI in videogames” and that Sandfall had confirmed gen-AI use. Those are the organizers’ and committee member’s accounts of the rule and events; they are not a separate finding about what the studio represented.
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- 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
GamesBeat’s report and reproduced statement · PC Gamer’s report and Towndrow comments
What AI use was reported, and what remains unclear?
Contemporary reports described AI-generated-looking placeholder textures, including newspaper-clipping art, in the released game. GamesBeat reported that some assets appeared in 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
That asset timeline is distinct from the award decision: the Indie Game Awards said its eligibility rule applied because of confirmed generative-AI use, not because the assets remained in the game after release. The available reporting does not identify the exact generative model or method, nor does it establish that the policy prohibits every kind of AI tool.
GamingBible quoted production director François Meurisse in an El País interview saying, “We used some AI, but not much,” with the explanation that the team focused its efforts on what it wanted to make. That comment is a developer’s characterization, not the Indie Game Awards’ policy or a complete technical account of the tools used. GamingBible’s report on Meurisse’s comment
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Who received the Indie Game Awards instead?
After the retraction, reports identified Blue Prince as the replacement Game of the Year recipient and Sorry We’re Closed as the replacement Debut Game recipient. Those were the Indie Game Awards’ replacement honors; they did not change The Game Awards’ 2025 result.
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.
GamesBeat’s report on the replacement recipients
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