Just when you thought Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 couldn’t rack up more accolades, the indie darling found itself in hot water. The breakout RPG from Sandfall Interactive has been stripped of its Indie Game Awards wins after the studio confirmed using generative AI during development, a detail they allegedly failed to disclose during the nomination process.
The twist? This all went down mere hours after the game took home both Game of the Year and Debut Game at the ceremony on December 18.
The fallout
Six One Indie, the organization behind the Indie Game Awards, doesn’t mess around when it comes to their anti-AI stance. According to their statement, Sandfall representatives initially agreed that no generative AI was used in Expedition 33’s development when submitting for consideration. But here’s where it gets messy, on the same day as the awards premiere, producer François Meurisse confirmed the studio had indeed used “some AI, but not much” during production.
That confirmation was all it took. The awards were revoked, with Game of the Year going to Blue Prince and Debut Game handed to Sorry We’re Closed instead.
Context matters
The AI assets in question were apparently placeholders that got patched out before launch. Sandfall has maintained they’re firmly against using AI to replace human-created art. Still, rules are rules, and the Indie Game Awards had a zero-tolerance policy clearly stated from the start.
What makes this even more interesting is the timing. The controversy erupted right as the gaming industry wrestles with the broader AI debate, especially after Larian Studios faced backlash for mentioning potential AI use in their upcoming Divinity project. Clair Obscur just happened to get caught in the crossfire.
Despite losing the indie recognition, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is still riding high from The Game Awards 2025, where it made history by winning nine awards, the most any game has ever won at that ceremony, including the coveted Game of the Year.
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