Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Loses Game Of The Year Award Over Generative AI Use

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has lost two major awards just days after being honoured, following questions over the use of generative AI during its development. The role-playing game from French studio Sandfall Interactive was named Game of the Year and Best Debut Game at the Indie Game Awards 2025, held on December 18. However, the organisers have now withdrawn both awards, citing a violation of the event’s eligibility rules related to generative AI. Also Read: The Game Awards 2025 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Dominates With Nine Wins; Full Winners List

Awards Withdrawn After Resurfaced Interview

According to the Indie Game Awards organisers, the decision came after an older interview with Sandfall Interactive resurfaced around the time of the ceremony. In that interview, the studio had acknowledged limited use of generative AI during development.

The Indie Game Awards maintain a strict policy that disqualifies any game developed using generative AI tools. The event’s FAQ clearly states that games using generative AI are not eligible for nomination. When Six One Indie, the collective behind the awards, was alerted to the interview, the nomination committee reviewed the case and decided to retract both honours.

Organisers said that when Expedition 33 was submitted, a representative from Sandfall Interactive had confirmed that no generative AI was used. The resurfaced comments, however, contradicted that declaration, prompting the disqualification.

Replacement Winners Announced

Following the retraction, the Indie Game Awards reassigned both categories to the next highest-ranked nominees. Sorry We’re Closed was awarded Best Debut Game, while Blue Prince took over the Game of the Year title.

The organisers acknowledged that Expedition 33 is widely regarded as a strong release but stated that the decision was made to uphold the rules applied across all entries.

Sandfall Clarifies Stance on AI Use

Sandfall Interactive has not directly commented on the award retraction but has since issued a clarification regarding the original interview. The studio said it used a small number of pre-existing assets sourced from the Unreal Engine Marketplace and stressed that none of those assets were created using generative AI.

The studio said that some AI tools were briefly tried in 2022 to create temporary placeholder textures during development. Sandfall explained that these were never meant to be part of the final release and were removed soon after launch, once the issue was spotted during post-release checks, with the intended assets put in place.

The episode has also fed into the wider conversation around AI use in game development. In recent months, several studios have faced criticism after acknowledging limited use of AI for things like placeholder art, voice work, or early concept material.