New York Times: Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Cost Less Than US$10 Million to Produce

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Budget-Friendly Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Developed for Under $10 Million by Sandfall Interactive

According to a New York Times article, Sandfall Interactive developed and launched Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on a budget of under $10 million. Guillaume Broche of Sandfall Interactive suggested that the game’s turn-based format allowed them to avoid the expenses associated with an open-world setup, adding that they were fortunate to be among the first to release a game of this type. Broche did not specify which technologies contributed to keeping costs down. Expedition 33 was created by a core team of approximately 30 people, with battle animations outsourced to a Korean studio. While the game’s credits list hundreds of contributors, this extensive list led some to question its eligibility for Best Independent Game at The Game Awards. Initial estimates had placed the game’s budget as high as $25 million, but this was not confirmed in the New York Times report.

Cost-Conscious Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Defies Budget Skeptics with Game Awards Nods and Over 5 Million Units Sold

To reduce development costs, Sandfall Interactive opted for corridor settings and arena fights instead of a completely open world. The game map acts as a smaller-scale replica of the explorable realm. Early on, investors were reportedly more interested in the metaverse and other trending topics. To secure funding, the developers pitched the game to friends and family before obtaining investments from business angels and grants, including a $50,000 grant from Epic Games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released on April 24, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via GOG, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, according to Psxbr. Despite initial investor hesitation and a budget under $10 million, the game has garnered 13 nominations across various categories at the 2025 Game Awards—a record for the event—and has sold over five million units. Clair Obscur’s success proves that Game of the Year contenders don’t require blockbuster budgets on the scale of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2.

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