In a spectacular triumph for the gaming industry, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved an unprecedented victory at the 2025 Game Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The French-developed role-playing game secured the coveted Game of the Year award alongside eight additional honors, setting a new benchmark for recognition in the industry’s most prestigious event.
Developed by Sandfall Interactive—a studio formed by former Ubisoft employees pursuing their creative vision—Clair Obscur captivated audiences with its emotionally resonant narrative and innovative turn-based combat system. The game presents a distinctive fantasy world where an enigmatic entity known as The Paintress imposes an age ceiling on humanity, following adventurers determined to challenge this supernatural constraint.
The awards ceremony witnessed director Guillaume Broche’s heartfelt acceptance speech, where he acknowledged his team’s dedication and humorously credited YouTube tutorial creators as ‘unsung heroes’ who guided their development journey. The game’s exceptional performance included victories in Best Narrative, Best Music, Best Role-Playing Game, and Best Independent Game categories.
Despite fierce competition from anticipated titles including Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Hades 2, Clair Obscur emerged as the night’s dominant force. The game’s composer, Lorien Testard, claimed Best Score honors for his debut video game soundtrack, originally discovered through SoundCloud submissions.
Beyond the awards, the event served as a platform for major industry revelations. Attendees received first glimpses of two new Tomb Raider installments, Larian Studios’ RPG Divinity, and fresh footage from Resident Evil 9. The ceremony also addressed ongoing industry challenges, including widespread layoffs and calls for greater recognition of developmental achievements amid criticisms of the awards’ commercial focus.
While Battlefield 6 secured Best Audio Design and Wuthering Waves won the Player’s Voice category, Clair Obscur’s near-total dominance underscored a significant shift toward independent development achieving mainstream critical acclaim.