Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s record-breaking efficiency ultimately week’s The Sport Awards has caught the attention of French president Emmanuel Macron, who celebrated the information of its Sport of the Yr award on Instagram over the weekend.
Sandfall Interactive’s role-playing recreation swept The Sport Awards 2025 with 9 wins, probably the most any online game has gained in a single The Sport Awards present. In addition to Sport of the Yr, Clair Obscur gained finest narrative, finest music, and finest efficiency, keeping off competitors from Loss of life Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hole Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to say the highest prize. Remember to take a look at all the things introduced at The Sport Awards 2025 for extra, in addition to the winners checklist in full.
“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has simply been named Sport of the Yr in Los Angeles. A historic first for a French title!” Macron exclaimed in French, appending a picture of Gustave, Maelle, and Sciel. “Nice satisfaction for Montpellier and for France. Congratulations to the Sandfall Interactive crew. For future generations and those who observe!”
In fact, this is not the primary time Sandfall Interactive has obtained public backing from the French president — when the RPG offered 1 million copies in simply three days, Macron additionally took to Instagram to say: “1,000,000 copies and so far, one of many best-rated video games in historical past: and sure, it is French! Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all of the creators of Expedition 33. You’re a shining instance of French audacity and creativity.”
Whereas many commenters shared the President’s pleasure, some selected to remind him of the feedback he made throughout France’s 2023 riots wherein he prompt younger folks had been poisoned or intoxicated by online game violence and social media.
He later downplayed the feedback, claiming he had “all the time thought-about that video video games are a possibility for France, for our youth, and their future, for our jobs and our financial system,” and pressured that he “expressed issues on the finish of June as a result of online game conventions had been utilized by criminals to normalize violence on social media,” including: “It’s this violence that I condemn, not video video games themselves.”
Accepting the Sport of the Yr award to rapturous applause, Clair Obscur director Guillaume Broche thanked the “unimaginable crew” at Sandfall Interactive, most of whom have been in attendance and in costume. Broche prolonged his due to the “unsung heroes” of the online game trade, “the individuals who make tutorials on YouTube on how you can make a recreation, as a result of we had no thought how you can make a recreation earlier than.”
Clair Obscur launched in April proper up towards Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, with each video games hitting Sport Cross as day one releases. It was felt that Clair Obscur may battle beneath these circumstances, but it surely loved instantaneous and vital recognition, and would go on to promote 5 million copies by October.
IGN’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 evaluation returned a 9/10. We stated: “Sporting its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of nice RPGs with a superb fight system and a gripping, harrowing story.”
Whereas accepting the Sport of the Yr award, Sandfall shadow-dropped new DLC and Patch 1.5.0, which introduces new location Verso’s Drafts and a few really difficult boss fights. Are You Beginning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? This is a Helpful Information for Newbies.
Photograph by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP by way of Getty Pictures.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and guide with 15+ years expertise working with among the world’s largest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.
