Having just been crowned GOTY 2025 at the Indie Game Awards, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 finally saw its prize withdrawn by the organizers for an unexpected reason.
For the creators of Chiaroscuro Expedition 33the year 2025 seemed very well on track to end under the best auspices. After having shone in the spotlight for months, it was indeed without any surprise that the Sandfall Interactive title multiplied the awards in different ceremonies, like for example the Game Awards or Indie Game Awardsfrom where he each time left with the “Game of the Year” prize. A prize, which, against all expectations, was however withdrawn in the case of the second ceremony.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 stripped of one of its 2025 GOTYs
We already told you about it in an article last week, we must admit that we expected that the victory of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 would make players react because of the “independent” side highlighted by it. Because Sandfall may be a small team, that does not take away the fact that the studio was able to count on the support of a publisher and a large number of external developers during the creation of the title, which tends somewhat to call into question the independent side of the thing.
On the other hand, what we didn’t see coming at all was the fact that the title was stripped of its prize by the organizers of the Indie Game Awards… for having used generative AI. Because that’s what ultimately got the better of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 in this case. « The Indie Game Awards has a strict stance on the use of generative AI throughout the nomination process and during the ceremony itself »we can indeed read in a post added to the official website of the event.
« When submitting the game, a Sandfall Interactive representative confirmed that no generative AI was used in development [du jeu]. Given the confirmation by [le studio] of use of AI-generated artwork in production on Indie Game Awards premiere day, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is disqualified from nomination »explain the organizers. “While the elements in question have been fixed and it is a great game, it is against the rules”.
Generative AI, a particularly heated subject
In addition to losing its GOTY 2025 title, which was ultimately re-awarded to the excellent Blue Prince, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 also lost the “Best First Game” prize, re-awarded to the survival-horror Sorry We’re Closed from Akupara Games. A decision which does not fail to divide players on social networks, but which shows once again that questions of generative AI have the art of generating a lot of ink. And it’s not the boss of Larian Studios, victim of a huge controversy with Divinity for the same reasons, who is going to say otherwise.
Source : Indie Game Awards
