Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has spent the last few months living at the very top of the industry conversation. It smashed expectations, dominated headlines, and collected trophies like a game that instantly stamped itself into modern RPG history. That momentum just hit its first serious wall. The Indie Game Awards has officially revoked two major wins from the game following concerns over generative AI being used during development.
Originally, Expedition 33 walked away with both Game of the Year and Best Debut Game, reinforcing the narrative that Sandfall Interactive had delivered one of the strongest artistic debuts in years. Then the situation flipped. It has been confirmed that submitted games were expected to meet a strict “no generative AI involvement” policy, and once it was acknowledged that AI had indeed played some role at some point in production, the committee decided the game no longer qualified for consideration.
The immediate fallout has been loud, complicated, and honestly, a little surreal. Some developers and players think the ruling is completely fair: If there’s a rule, it applies to everyone. Others view it as excessively rigid, arguing that the creative vision, craftsmanship, and human effort behind Expedition 33 shouldn’t be overshadowed by tools that were reportedly phased out early in the process.
With the decision finalized, Blue Prince now holds the Indie Game of the Year title, while Sorry We’re Closed takes Best Debut Game. Meanwhile, Expedition 33 remains wildly successful, widely praised, and still one of the defining RPGs of its generation, just now carrying a controversy that will follow both the game and the broader AI conversation for a long while.
The bigger discussion is only beginning. Where does the industry draw the ethical line on AI, and who gets to decide what “fair creativity” looks like in modern game development? The next few years are going to shape that answer, and this moment may end up being one of the turning points.
Do you think the decision was fair or did Expedition 33 deserve to keep its wins despite the AI controversy? Share your thoughts, and stay tuned to VGNW and follow us on X as this debate continues to shape the industry.
Why did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lose its Indie Game Awards wins?
After confirming that generative AI was used at some point during development, violating the event’s strict “no generative AI involvement” policy.
Which awards were taken away from Expedition 33?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lost two major awards: Indie Game of the Year and Best Debut Game.
