Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been disqualified from the Indie Game Awards for using AI

, by Thibaut

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been disqualified from the Indie Game Awards for using AI

On December 18, the 2025 Indie Game Awards crowned Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with the “Best First Game” and “Game of the Year” awards. This was but another accolade for Sandfall Interactive. But this success story ended in controversy.

The organizers announced that the French studio's RPG had been stripped of its awards. The disqualification was prompted by Sandfall's confirmation that it had used generative AI during the game's development. The Indie Game Awards rules state that "games developed using generative AI are not eligible for nomination."

This decision was followed by this statement:

"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 on the day of the Indie Game Awards 2025 premiere, this does disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from its nomination."

As a result of this disqualification, Sorry We're Closed has been crowned Best First Game and Blue Prince Game of the Year.

Source: indiegameawards.gg

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