| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | |||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a narrative-driven exploration game set in a mysterious world. Use this page for your latest news and updates about the game!
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 News
2025
November 21
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was named the Ultimate Game of the Year at the fan-voted Golden Joystick Awards, triumphing over titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The RPG's success was a huge sweep, as it won every one of the seven categories it was nominated for, including Best Storytelling and Studio of the Year.
November 18
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is nominated for 12 awards for The Game Awards 2025. This makes the RPG the most nominated game in the awards' history.
October 19
⚫︎ Back by popular demand, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GameStop exclusive physical Lumiere Edition for the PlayStation 5 is returning to shelves on November 11th. Additionally, a new edition that will exclusively be sold on Amazon, the Mirror Edition, will also be available starting November 27th. Both editions feature steelbooks with different artwork (Mirror Edition will have Verso and Alicia, while the Lumiere Edition will have Maelle, Gustav, and the Paintress), but will feature different bonuses such as the Lumiere Edition-only Expeditioner's Journal hardcover art book.
October 13
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive wants to explore a new direction for their next title. Despite thriving from their previous project, they want to try out new genres and styles and not get stuck in repeating the same formula.
They also noted that there are still some hidden secrets in Expedition 33 that players have yet to discover, and remains tight-lipped as they want fans to find it for themselves.
October 9
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will have a huge update that will included a new replayable environment, boss fights, and more. Developer Sandfall Interactive noted that this is in part, due to the game selling over 5 million copies.
September 26
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is releasing DRM-free on GOG and with a launch discount following a major update for a new battle retry option. As part of GOG's 17th anniversary celebration, the game will be available for 10% until October 9.
September 16
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 VAs who have also been in Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy 16 say they'll inevitably also appear in crappy games in a video interview with Todd Kenreck. Ben Starr and Jennifer English explained that actors don't usually know what game they are acting in.
It's fortunate that people want to come to us and express their love for this game, but also, we are not the reason why the game is amazing,
Starr told Kenreck. We are an aspect of why people enjoy this game, but the game is great. And we're gonna be a part of some absolute stinkers, I imagine, in the future.
We sometimes will only get our characters' lines, let alone a whole script,
explained English.
September 15
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold 4.4 Million Units revealed Sandfall Interactive when speaking to Twitch streamer Antoine Daniel at ZEVENT 2025. Its last milestone announcement was in May, when it reached 3.3 million units sold in 33 days.
September 10
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 congratulates Team Cherry on launching Hollow Knight: Silksong with art posted on the former's official X account. "Congratulations Team Cherry on the release of Silksong, a precious game made with love and care," says Sandfall Interactive.
This post coincides a recent discovery by players of a Clair Obscur reference in Silksong. Protagonist Hornet plays music in the rain with the narrative text showing, "Through ages… Bound… Forgotten… Faded… For those who come after…". The last line "For those who come after" is a reoccuring line in Clair Obscur and is the title of one of the game's popular soundtracks.
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 French concert tour sells out in under an hour. Interested fans will get another chance to buy from a small allocation of Paris tickets for the French concert series on Thursday the 11th of September, 10am CEST / 1am PT / 4am ET on the Salle Pleyel site.
September 3
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 announces its soundtrack concert tour, starting with multiple locations in France. The announcement mentioned that international dates will be potentially explored in 2026.
August 29
⚫︎ Director Guillaume Broche answered in an interview with YouTuber MrMattyPlays that "there may be" a post-launch plan, but they aren't ready to reveal any details yet. Both he and lead programmer Tom Guillermin had gone on record to say that there is no DLC planned for Expedition 33.
August 7
⚫︎ Creative director Guillaume Broche confessed that he "really likes sad stories," stating that he wanted Expedition 33 to present players with an "impossible choice" at the end of a long and painful journey. According to him, this allows players to choose their own desired conclusion for an "impossible story" that follows characters who are left devastated by grief.
August 1
⚫︎ In a recent interview with The Gamer, Tom Guillermin said the current team size feels right, especially if they continue making similar turn-based RPGs. Rather than chasing the triple-A development model of bloated teams and years-long production cycles, the studio seems content to stick with a leaner, double-A philosophy.
July 30
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has received a new update that introduces the ability to retry battles after defeat. When players lose a fight, a prompt appears offering an immediate chance to try again like those seen in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Alongside the retry option, Sandfall Interactive has implemented several other tweaks aimed at improving clarity and player control. The Lumina cost for abilities is now visible in the Pictos menu, giving players better insight into resource management. Audio sliders have also been expanded, allowing separate volume control for exploration and combat phases, while a new autoplay option enables dialogue to progress automatically outside of cutscenes.
July 27
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has released alternate cuts of some of its tracks in one album, all free on Steam and on popular music platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, etc., as a "special thank you" to all the game's fans. Called "Nos vies en Lumière", it features a remixed and remasterd 33-minute long cut of the titular track, as well as a piano version of Sciel's theme, and tracks that were only available through pre-launch trailers.
a special thank you
(PCGamesN)
July 24
⚫︎ A 6 LP vinyl box set for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been announced, alongside 8 CD and 2 LP versions of the game’s soundtrack. Revealed by stars Jennifer English and Ben Starr, the collection will release in February 2026, with the 6 LP set priced at $145, the 2 LP at $42, and the 8 CD set at $44. Each variant will feature exclusive galaxy-effect designs, available via Laced Records and IGN store. Composer Lorien Testard expressed gratitude to the team and fans, while also celebrating the surprise drop of a new digital bonus edition of Nos vies en Lumière, now streaming with three remixed and remastered tracks. Those who already own the original album will receive the new versions for free.
July 12
⚫︎ In a behind-the-scenes reveal, it was shared that one of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's bosses, Francois, was actually portrayed in the motion capture studio by a plastic water bottle. Actor Maxence Cazorla, who plays multiple characters in the game, posted a clip showing the cast performing a dramatic scene with the bottle standing in as the boss.
June 22
⚫︎ Actor Charlie Cox, who voices Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, recently admitted he feels disconnected from the game’s overwhelming success, mainly because he’s not a gamer and barely remembers recording his lines. Speaking candidly at a convention, Cox said, "Apparently the game is awesome. I haven’t played it... I feel like a total fraud." He shared that his involvement was limited to just a few hours in the studio and that his agent simply booked him for a voiceover job. Despite that, Cox expressed genuine happiness for the game’s developers and their success.
June 18
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may be getting new content and expanded language support, according to a recent developer post from Sandfall Interactive. In a Bluesky update, the studio teased that they’re "exploring a wide range of future improvements," including accessibility features, additional localization options, and, most notably, new content. While the scope of this potential content remains unclear, fans are hopeful it could range from small additions to a full expansion.
June 17
⚫︎ During a group interview in Sydney ahead of Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima praised French studio Sandfall Interactive for how efficiently they developed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with a small team. Calling it his ideal model for game creation, Kojima highlighted the team’s size, reportedly "33 team members and a dog", as a standout in an era where AAA development often involves hundreds of staff. Reflecting on his own studio's growth, Kojima noted that Kojima Productions has grown to over 200 developers, a shift he likened to factory-style production. He contrasted this with Sandfall’s approach, which he sees as a more focused and efficient way to build games at scale.
However, some debate has emerged over what counts as the full development team. While Sandfall itself is only around 30 people, the game’s credits show additional work by external teams, suggesting the overall manpower involved was much larger.
June 9
⚫︎ The Lumiere Edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be restocked for PlayStation 5 on October 31, 2025, after high demand caused initial pre-orders to sell out quickly. While the Xbox version of the Lumiere Edition isn't included in the restock, it may return later, as the game is available on Xbox Game Pass. Sandfall is also offering a $120 Monolith Set, a collectible bundle without the game, for fans wanting memorabilia.
May 30
⚫︎ Following the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developer Sandfall Interactive plans to stay small. The studio’s COO says they aim to keep teams under 50 people, inspired by classics like Half-Life 2 and Ocarina of Time, believing small teams foster better decisions and creativity.
May 29
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s overwhelming success changed the course of developer Sandfall Interactive, which opened up more opportunities for the French-based studio, including the huge possibility of a new game.
May 28
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has reached a striking sales milestone—3.3 million copies sold in just 33 days. The studio marked the occasion on its official Bluesky account, highlighting the uncanny numerical match. “Thirty-three days ago, we released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,” the post reads. “Since then, we’ve sold 3.3 million copies. Seriously. As of today. We couldn’t make that up.”
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has surpassed 3.3 million copies sold, making it one of 2025’s standout hits. According to Kepler Interactive’s Matthew Handrahan, a key reason behind the game's success may be its focused design and respect for players' time.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Handrahan said the game avoids unnecessary bloat, offering a satisfying experience without stretching for hundreds of hours. “It gives them plenty to do, and it gives them plenty of satisfaction, but it isn't arbitrarily 500 hours of gameplay,” he explained. “It's impactful because it's scoped correctly… It really respects the player's time.”
May 26
⚫︎ In an interview with Pirate Software, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director Guillaume Broche has shared advice for aspiring game developers: make the games you want to play. Broche believes creative honesty leads to stronger, more authentic games, noting that many acclaimed indie titles succeed because their creators made something they genuinely cared about. While acknowledging that his own mainstream taste helped, he insists that even niche games can resonate deeply if they're made with joy, truth, and intention.
May 19
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deliberately left out a mini-map to encourage deeper immersion and appreciation of its environments, according to Sandfall Interactive CEO and creative director Guillaume Broche. Speaking in a recent interview, Broche explained that mini-maps often distract players from the world itself, leading them to navigate via icons instead of engaging with level design. Despite the risk of missing content, many fans have embraced the decision, saying it enhances the game’s atmosphere and helps it stand apart from more modern, waypoint-driven titles.
May 15
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director Guillaume Broche has hinted that a Switch 2 version of the game "could be interesting," though there are no concrete plans yet. Speaking to French YouTube channel mistermv, Broche acknowledged that the game’s success has opened up many new opportunities for the studio, but they are still deciding which to pursue.
Meanwhile, following an outcry from fans demanding an Esquie plushie, Sandfall Interactive has confirmed that it is exploring the possibility of creating officially licensed plushies of the beloved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 character. Fans were warned to be cautious of unofficial Esquie plushie listings appearing online, as none are currently licensed. Sandfall Interactive assured fans that it is working to bring official Esquie plushies to market soon, responding to overwhelming demand for the adorable and powerful character.
May 13
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wasn’t always the French-inspired RPG it is today, originally titled "We Lost", the game was supposed to be set in a steampunk Victorian England with zombies, aliens, and more. This early concept was revealed through a resurfaced five-year-old Reddit post by director Guillaume Broche seeking voice actors, and lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen explained that a call with potential investors pushed the team to reimagine the game’s setting, ultimately drawing inspiration from a painting and a short story by Svedberg-Yen.
⚫︎ As of May 13, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has struggled with physical sales in Japan, moving only 9,825 copies by May 4, despite its strong JRPG influence and massive success in the West, where it sold two million copies within 12 days. Reports suggest the low Japanese sales could be due to limited physical availability, as digital sales were not included in the figures.
May 9
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the gift that keeps on giving as players discover more things each day that passes, just like how a player discovered a way to hit up to 2 billion damage with the Expeditioner, Maelle. fter finishing the main story, the game opens up its endgame, which fans must play as it contains more story elements and challenging bosses they have never encountered before.This may be daunting, as most bosses have gigantic bars of HP, while some even have one-hit damage. Thus, players have discovered a way to fight back— with a nuke build.
Sandfall Interactive noticed Stendhal was making the game too easy for the players. The studio said there would be upcoming changes to Maelle’s skill. According to them, they weren’t supposed to make any balance changes this early in the game, just some bug fixes.
May 6
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is no doubt an instant classic, with how it became the highest rated game of 2025 and selling over 1 million copies in 3 days. Surprisingly, the game-of-the-year favorite was born out of boredom and the desire to do something different.
Director Guillaume Broche revealed that the project started as something to cure his boredom. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, he was working with Ubisoft but felt restless and had an idea for a game.Since childhood, Broche liked the popular JRPG video game series Final Fantasy and wanted to create something similar. Thus, his quest to fulfill his dream began, starting off with Reddit.
May 4
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 likely wouldn’t have been greenlit at a major studio, according to Sandfall Interactive founder Guillaume Broche, who explained that large companies typically resist original IPs due to layers of approvals and risk aversion. Broche believes the game would’ve taken 25 years to make under a big company, whereas Sandfall's indie approach allowed them to create the game their way, within 5 years.
May 2
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s launch alongside The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered didn’t negatively impact its success, in fact, according to publisher Kepler Interactive, it may have helped spotlight the RPG genre overall. The game quickly sold over a million copies within two days and gained praise from figures including French President Emmanuel Macron. Despite being released near a major remaster, Kepler remained confident thanks to the game’s strong momentum, Game Pass availability, and accessible price point.
May 1
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 rolled out its first update since its release. Sandfall Interactive announced that Hotfix 1.2.2 is now live, focusing on several bug fixes and localization improvements. Furthermore, the developers are working on a series of fixes and improvements and will share more soon. Subsequently, Sandfall Games' Creative Director recommended another RPG released the same day as Expedition 33.
April 30
⚫︎ The developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy are publicly encouraging players to try each other’s games, highlighting a rare moment of mutual support in an oversaturated market. Kazutaka Kodaka, creator of Danganronpa and co-director of The Hundred Line, praised Expedition 33 as a tribute to classic JRPGs, while Sandfall Interactive’s Guillaume Broche returned the favor by recommending The Hundred Line as a lovingly made turn-based RPG. Their friendly exchange on social media not only celebrates each other’s creative efforts but also invites fans to embrace the variety of unique RPGs currently available.
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has received its first post-launch update, addressing a range of bug fixes following its global debut. According to the game's lead writer, a DLC is being considered due to the strong community response.
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a good chance of having a DLC, according to its lead writer. With all that excitement in the air, Expedition 33 Lead Writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen responded to fans on Instagram and answered various questions about the game.Svedberg-Yen did not confirm any DLC plans, but gave fans a positive response that could point to the game receiving an expansion sometime down the road.
April 28
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched with a resounding success, hitting major milestones and receiving praise from everyone in the industry within the first week of its release. Developer Sandfall Interactive took to Twitter its latest achievement: selling over 1 million copies three days after its release. They noted that this number does not include the Game Pass players, so the metrics could very well be higher than this. The game has also made a huge impression on the general public with its 9.7 user score on Metacritic, making it the highest player-rated score in 2025.
April 25
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has launched to critical acclaim, quickly earning praise from both players and developers. Baldur’s Gate 3 Publishing Director Michael Douse expressed his support for the RPG on Twitter, highlighting its impressive 92 Metacritic score and designation as a "Must-Play" game. In addition to its critical success, Expedition 33 is already the third top-selling game on Steam within just 24 hours of release, maintaining its momentum despite competing with Oblivion Remastered. The game is being lauded for its exceptional gameplay and storytelling.
April 3
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will offer PC players a wide range of graphical presets from Low to Epic, while console users can choose between Performance and Quality modes. The game is confirmed to be PS5 Pro Enhanced, though exact specs are still unknown. Xbox players can now pre-load the game ahead of its global launch on April 24 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET. The title will include 56 achievements and trophies with challenges like defeating bosses without damage and collecting all 33 music records.
March 24
⚫︎ Sandfall Interactive has confirmed that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will not include a minimap, opting instead for a compass to aid navigation. Producer Francois Meurisse explained that the decision was made to encourage exploration rather than reliance on UI elements. But beyond gameplay, this choice ties directly into the game's narrative, players are part of an expedition venturing into the unknown, following in the footsteps of past explorers who failed. "They don’t have a map because every previous expedition failed," Meurisse stated, reinforcing the idea that players should feel as lost and uncertain as their in-game counterparts.
March 21
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's director, Guillaume Broche, was "starving for new turn-based RPGs" and figured if he wanted them, others would too, leading him to start development as a passion project in 2019. Drawing inspiration from Final Fantasy, Lost Odyssey, and FromSoftware titles like Sekiro, Broche aimed to merge strategic combat with skill-based mechanics.
March 19
⚫︎ In a recent interview, producer Francois Meurisse highlighted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's unique blend of turn-based strategy and challenging, off-rhythm enemy attacks. While deeply rooted in JRPG traditions, the game distinguishes itself with a Belle Epoque-inspired art style, reflecting the French developer Sandfall Interactive’s goal of creating a visually and mechanically distinct experience. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws inspiration from classic Final Fantasy titles while incorporating real-time defensive mechanics influenced by Sekiro and action point-based skills inspired by deckbuilders.
March 3
⚫︎ Gaming News Media were able to be given playable demos of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's ahead of its release, and many were impressed by how the game's turn-based combat is unlike its predecessors, being an evolution and combination of all the great titles before it.
January 30
⚫︎ Even before its release, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is getting a movie adaptation. Developer Sandfall Interactive has partnered with Story Kitchen, the studio behind game-to-film projects like Sonic and the upcoming Dredge movie. While no director or cast has been announced, producers Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Elena Sandoval are attached to the project. Story Kitchen expressed excitement about translating the game's rich narrative and complex characters into a cinematic experience.
2024
August 29
⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws heavy inspiration from classic turn-based RPGs, with creative director Guillaume Broche citing Final Fantasy VIII-X, Persona, and Octopath Traveler as key influences. Broche, a longtime fan of the genre, wanted to create a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics, blending real-time reaction-based combat with strategic depth. Players can switch party members in the open world and use traversal abilities to solve puzzles. Broche was overwhelmed by the game's positive reception, expressing his desire for players to "break the game" with creative builds. The development team hopes Expedition 33 will leave a lasting impact, much like the RPGs that shaped their own experiences.
July 30
⚫︎ Creative director Guillaume Broche shared that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes inspiration from real-world art and literature, with its title referencing the Clair Obscur artistic movement of 17th-18th century France and its story influenced by the novel La Horde du Contrevent. Broche emphasized the game’s focus on high-fidelity visuals and its innovative reactive turn-based battle system. Drawing influence from Souls games, Devil May Cry, and NieR, the game aims to modernize turn-based RPG combat.
