French studio Sandfall Interactive celebrated a historic victory at The Game Awards 2025, held on Thursday night (11) at Peacock Theater, in Los Angeles. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won nine awards, including Jogo of Ano, surpassing the previous record of seven wins held by
The awards, presented by Geoff Keighley, highlighted the turn-based action RPG released in April for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game received 12 nominations, the highest number in the event’s history, and converted almost all of them into trophies.
Jennifer English received the award from Melhor Performance for her portrayal of Maelle. Director Guillaume Broche thanked the staff and players during the GOTY acceptance.
- Ano game
- Better Direção than Jogo
- Best Narrativa
- Better Direção than Arte
- Best Trilha Sonora
- Best RPG
- Best Jogo Independente
- Best Estreia Independente
- Best Performance (Jennifer English)
Expired categories in detail
Sandfall Interactive formed its team during the pandemic via online forums and SoundCloud. The game impressed with its innovation in combat that mixes traditional turns with real-time actions, such as dodging.
The soundtrack by Lorien Testard, a debutant composer discovered on SoundCloud, led to Melhor Trilha Sonora and Música. The live performance of “Une vie à t’aimer” marked the night.
Jennifer English dedicated her award to neurodivergent people. The game had three nominations in the category, with Charlie Cox and Ben Starr also competing.
Origin of the studio and production
Guillaume Broche left Ubisoft to found Sandfall in Montpellier, França. The project started as a personal idea in 2020 and gained support from Kepler Interactive.
The budget was below titles like Mirror’s Edge and Vanquish, from the PS3/Xbox 360 era.
The art direction inspired by the French Belle Époque stood out in Melhor Direção from Arte. Exploração and character development enriched the experience.
Sales reached 3.3 million copies in 33 days, not counting Game Pass. Posteriormente, surpassed 4.4 million and became the biggest third-party launch on the service in 2025.
Commercial reception and at Game Pass
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold 1 million copies in three days and topped the Billboard charts with her OST. Lumière has racked up millions of streams on Spotify.
On Xbox Game Pass, day 1, it surpassed releases like Oblivion Remastered. Broche credited the service with attracting turn-based RPG players.
The game fueled discussions about indie vs. AAA. Neil Druckmann, of The Last of Us, praised the narrative as “one of the most exciting and creative” he has played.
Announcement during the awards ceremony
After GOTY, Sandfall announced free DLC released immediately. Inclui new zone, costumes, bosses in the infinite tower, photo mode, weapons, Luminas and fixes.
Now with 19 languages, the update adds new songs from Testard on digital platforms. Broche encouraged: “Go home and play, it’s free.”
The victory reinforces the impact of smaller studios. Concorrentes like Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong took awards in action, but Expedition 33 dominated RPGs and indies.
Central plot and mechanics
Expedição 33 faces Paintress, an entity that erases people when they reach an age marked on a monolith. Temas of inevitability of death and personal relationships guide the plot.
Dynamic combats require timing for counterattacks. Exploração in semi-open world and infinite tower add replay.
Characters like Gustave and Maelle receive praise for depth. Vozes of Cox, Starr and English increase immersion.
Industry reactions
Kojima laughed at losing Melhor Direção. Comunidade divided opinions, but sales and ratings confirm success. President Macron congratulated the studio.
Sandfall plans next project true to its DNA. Equipe described 2025 as a “surreal timeline”.
Clair Obscur consolidates Western RPGs as competitors to Japanese ones. Inverted Pirâmide prioritized factual lead, body with data from varied sources for depth.