Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looked like the biggest success story of the Indie Game Awards 2025. Sandfall Interactive’s breakout title walked away with two of the night’s most prestigious wins: Game of the Year and Debut Game. For a rising indie studio, it was the kind of moment that can define a career and put a new franchise on the map.
But the victory lap ended almost immediately.
In the hours following the ceremony, a new controversy caught fire online after Sandfall Interactive confirmed that generative AI had been used at some point during the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. That confirmation collided head-on with the Indie Game Awards’ strict eligibility rules, which prohibit generative AI use at any stage for submitted games. As a result, the organization has now officially rescinded both awards.
According to the Indie Game Awards, the game was originally allowed into the competition because the studio agreed—during the submission process—that no generative AI had been used in the project. That assurance is a key part of the event’s nomination rules, and it’s what cleared Clair Obscur to be considered, nominated, and ultimately selected as a winner.
The situation changed the same day the Indie Game Awards 2025 took place, when producer François Meurisse confirmed that generative AI art had been used during production. Even though those AI-generated assets were later removed via patches, the awards committee says that doesn’t undo the violation. Their policy focuses on whether generative AI was used during development at all, not whether the final version still contains those assets.
In its statement, the awards committee emphasized that the rules are designed to be clear and consistent—and that the newly confirmed use of generative AI made Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ineligible, despite its overall quality and the fact that the AI-related content had been patched out. With that determination, the nomination committee agreed to retract both awards.
With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 disqualified, the Indie Game Awards will now pass the honors to the runner-ups. Sorry We’re Closed will receive the Debut Game award, while Blue Prince will take home Game of the Year.
