Indie Game of the Year Award Stripped from 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' Due to AI Use

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33", the critically acclaimed RPG from Sandfall Interactive, recently had its Indie Game of the Year award stripped away, just hours after winning. This unprecedented move by the Indie Game Awards committee came after the game's alleged and later confirmed use of generative AI.

The Indie Game Awards' official statement on its website clarified their strict policy: "The Indie Game Awards have a hard stance on the use of gen AI throughout the nomination process and during the ceremony itself. When it was submitted for consideration, representatives of Sandfall Interactive agreed that no gen AI was used in the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. In light of Sandfall Interactive confirming the use of gen AI art in production on the day of the Indie Game Awards 2025 premiere, this does disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from its nomination."

The statement further explained, "While the assets in question were patched out, it still goes against the regulations we have in place. As a result, the IGAs nomination committee has agreed to officially retract both the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards."

Following this retraction, the Indie Game Awards reassigned the vacated honors. "Blue Prince" was subsequently named Game of the Year, and "Sorry We're Closed" received the Debut Game award. Both developers were invited to submit acceptance speeches, which are anticipated to be published in early 2026, as the awards premiere occurred just before a holiday break.

The controversy surrounding "Expedition 33"'s AI use gained traction earlier in the week, fueled by a broader industry discussion. Larian CEO Swen Vincke, known for "Baldur's Gate 3", had previously stated that while their upcoming "Divinity" project wouldn't feature generative AI, AI tools would be utilized for development processes like cleaning motion capture data, automatic retargeting, and editing. Vincke highlighted these as "huge benefits, because nobody wants to do this."

These discussions prompted a re-examination of "Expedition 33"'s development. A July 2025 interview with El País resurfaced, in which Sandfall Interactive's COO and Production Director, François Meurisse, confirmed the integration of AI tools. Meurisse stated, "We use some AI, but not much. The key is that we were very clear about what we wanted to do and what to invest in. And, of course, technology has allowed us to do things that were unthinkable a short time ago."

The decision by the Indie Game Awards sends a clear message regarding the industry's stance on generative AI. It remains to be seen whether this unprecedented stripping of an award will lead to further disqualifications across the gaming landscape, but it firmly establishes that major awards bodies may not tolerate AI usage, even at the cost of pre-recorded award ceremonies.

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" is a Turn-Based RPG and JRPG with fantasy elements, developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive. It was released on April 24, 2025.