Key Takeaways
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- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was named Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, winning a total of nine awards.
- The game gained popularity following its release in April 2025 and seemed to be tailor-made for the award ceremonys jury due to its cinematic feel.
- Clair Obscur set a new record by winning the most awards at The Game Awards, surpassing The Last of Us 2 which won seven awards in 2020.
- Guillaume Broche, CEO and Creative Director of Clair Obscur, was honored by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, who praised Broches understanding of game design.
Our favorite Goodies
Game of the Year 2025: Clair Obscur’s Unexpected Triumph at The Game Awards
On December 11–12, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive was crowned Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, the world’s largest video game award ceremony. The game also earned nine awards, garnering recognition from industry leaders. Nicolas Doucet of Team Asobi announced Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as GOTY at the close of the event. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did not win the Players’ Choice award (which went to Wuthering Waves), the story-driven RPG quickly gained popularity after its release in April 2025. Prior to its launch, Clair Obscur and its publisher, Kepler Interactive, were relatively unknown. Many anticipated that Grand Theft Auto 6 would dominate the awards that year, but Rockstar Games delayed its release until 2026. Upon release, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received positive reviews and seemed tailor-made for The Game Awards jury with its cinematic feel. The relatively sparse release calendar of 2025 contributed to its success.
Triumphant Clair Obscur Scoops Multiple Awards at The Game Awards 2025
The Game Awards 2025 saw intense competition. Other contenders included Donkey Kong Bananza from Nintendo, Ghost of Yotei from Sony, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach from Hideo Kojima, and highly anticipated indie sequels like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 (which was also nominated for Best Indie Game). The show opened with an orchestra, complete with electric guitar, performing music from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Jennifer English, the lead actress in Clair Obscur, who had recently won the Best Performance award at the Golden Joysticks, spoke about the importance of embracing queer joy in her acceptance speech. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 set a new record by winning the most awards at the ceremony, surpassing The Last of Us 2, which won seven awards in 2020. This achievement reflects the international enthusiasm for the French game, which has steadily gained recognition since its debut. Throughout the ceremony, the Sandfall team expressed their gratitude in every speech.
Triumphant Game Designer Broche Honored by Final Fantasy Creator Sakaguchi at The Game Awards 2025
Guillaume Broche, CEO and Creative Director of Clair Obscur, specifically thanked Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, for inspiring him to become a video game developer when accepting the GOTY award. Sakaguchi responded to Broche’s video on social media, saying, “I applaud your understanding of creating a video game.” This acknowledgement from the creator of Final Fantasy was a great honor, recognizing the lifetime work of game designers, especially Broche.
In Case You Missed It
In an unexpected yet exciting week for gaming enthusiasts, Ahmed Hassan reports on Codex Mortis, a groundbreaking indie game crafted entirely by artificial intelligence, marking what could be the world’s first of its kind. Dive into this revolutionary process where TypeScript code and AI tools like Claude Code generated visuals through ChatGPT, pushing the boundaries of gaming possibilities despite ongoing debates about AI usage. Inspired by Vampire Survivors, Codex Mortis has sparked intrigue among gamers, with a free Steam demo available now as we await an unannounced release date. Meanwhile, Jonathan Dubinski offers Bond fans an exciting sneak peek into IO Interactive’s upcoming “007: First Light” in his article, revealing Lenny Kravitz’s take on the villainous Bawma and its impact on the iconic franchise. Lastly, Sophie Laurent sends waves of nostalgia through gaming communities with news of a massive Nintendo 64 classic preparing for its grand return around 2026! So buckle up, gamers, as you explore these thrilling updates in Ahmed’s in-depth exploration Indie Creator Claims This is the First Game in the World Made Entirely with AI, Jonathan’s exciting sneak peek Lenny Kravitz in New James Bond, and Sophie’s nostalgic reveal A Massive Nintendo 64 Classic Preparing for Its Grand Return, Leaked.
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