Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Reveals AI Experimentation in J’RPG Development Was Unfavorable, Stresses All Human-Made Content

After a highly successful year, it seems Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is wrapping things up on a bit of a downer note. Recent news broke that Sandfall Entertainment incorporated some generative AI into the development of their massive RPG, which has raised eyebrows in the gaming community. Director Guillaume Brioche has since stepped in to clarify how this technology played a role in the game’s creation.

“Everything in the game is human-made,” Brioche stated in a conversation with YouTuber Sushi. “When AI first came out in 2022, we’d already started on the game. It was just a new tool; we tried it, but we didn’t like it at all—it felt wrong. We had originally utilized it as a placeholder for the textures we missed, but we took it out as soon as we found it.” He underscores that “everything is human-made,” particularly emphasizing the concept art and voice work, two areas frequently mentioned as possibilities for AI use in handling smaller tasks.

Brioche made it clear that Sandfall will not be incorporating AI tools in the future. “It’s pretty hard to predict what the future will look like,” he added, “but everything will be made by humans from us.”

These remarks come amid the fallout from the revelation that AI had been used in Clair Obscur’s development, casting a shadow over the team’s achievements. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards, including Game of the Year, due to their stringent no-AI policies, leaving the gaming community feeling a bit disappointed. This skepticism is amplified by the fact that several major titles this year, such as Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, have faced criticism for apparently utilizing AI assets in various capacities. For now, it seems the tools are generating more negative feedback than positive.

Despite the controversy, sentiments have shifted somewhat. Former FPS pro Shroud, who advocated for Arc Raiders over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for GOTY, acknowledged its merits after finally diving into the game himself. It looks like this RPG is still making waves, even in turbulent times.