Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive have been on a wild awards streak with their latest title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which recently set a record at The Game Awards, snagging more trophies than any game in history. However, the celebration hit a snag when it was revealed that two of its awards from the Indie Game Awards 2025 have been rescinded. The game initially took home both Game of the Year and Debut Game accolades, but controversy followed thanks to its not-so-indie production background, which includes a hefty budget and a publisher backing.
Just yesterday, the Indie Game Awards announced the retraction, stating that Sandfall’s use of generative AI during the game’s development went against their strict guidelines. According to the awards’ FAQ page, a representative had not been entirely transparent about this aspect when submitting the game.
The Indie Game Awards emphasized their stance on generative AI, explaining, “When it was submitted for consideration, a representative 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 generative AI art during production on the day of the Indie Game Awards 2025 premiere, this does disqualify the game from its nomination.”
For those who may have missed the details, Clair Obscur launched with hints of AI-generated textures in certain areas. After some players pointed out these odd textures, Sandfall swiftly patched them out without much public acknowledgment. The awards body remarked, “While the assets in question were patched out and it is a wonderful game, it does go 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.”
In a twist, the Game of the Year crown has now been passed to the well-deserved Blue Prince, while the Debut Game award goes to Sorry We’re Closed.
Despite the ongoing discussion about Clair Obscur‘s various accolades, its creative lead maintains that the game was “not supposed to be big.” They previously stated, “We love making games more than we love managing,” and expressed that limitations can actually be beneficial, indicating no intent to scale up for upcoming projects.