Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Will Nerf This Broken Skill on May 9

By Daniel Burrows "Windfell_" Gaming News
8 May 2025 no comments

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will nerf its most overpowered skill move tomorrow after developer Sandfall Interactive admitted they “overdid it” with a pre-release damage boost. Sandfall’s Clair Obscur has been a massive success since it launched on April 24 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, selling one million copies in its first three days.

Sandfall Interactive has announced that it will be nerfing Maelle’s Stendhal skill in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The developer stated that the skill was making the game “a bit too easy” for players.” The nerf will happen in the next update, due on May 9.

At the core of Clair Obscur’s success is its unique combat system that combines real-time strategy with turn-based actions. Players can assign Pictos—stat buffs—to enhance skill damage. Sandfall is concerned that the Stendhal skill is too powerful and aims to make combat a little more challenging in future gameplay.

Buy Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 key

Why Is the Skill Being Nerfed?

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 allows players to create unique builds, optimizing synergies from skills and Pictos to create powerful attacks. However, Maelle’s Stendhal skill is “overshadowing” other abilities, says Sandfall Interactive. The developer wants to nerf the skill as it can do up to 2 billion damage, completely ruining the balance of the JRPG.

Sandfall is keen to allow players the chance to “break the game,” but is taking steps to reduce Stendhal’s ability to bring it “more in line with everything else.” On X, the developer says the nerf will come in the next patch, which arrives on May 9 on PC and later on consoles.

Expeditioners, a quick note on Stendhal and balance changes:

We hadn’t planned to make any balance changes this early—just bug fixes, unless something clearly stood out.

Well, Stendhal did. It was underwhelming for most of development, so in our final pre-release balance… pic.twitter.com/JwmC6luh3p — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (@expedition33) May 8, 2025

What Will Change on May 9?

The upcoming patch on May 9 is mainly to address bugs and fix minor issues. Sandfall is reluctant to make significant balance changes so early after the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, the developers have decided to adjust Stendhal in their ongoing effort to balance the game as effectively as possible.

Since its launch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on April 24, the game has become a massive success for Sandfall, a small indie company of former Ubisoft developers. The RPG is one of the most popular games right now, having sold over 1 million copies in its first three days, still managing to pull in a daily player count of 102,000 on Steam.

And here we are. Three days after launch. One million copies sold.

Thank you for believing in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. pic.twitter.com/92T2qZxcHP — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (@expedition33) April 27, 2025

What Players Should Do Next

The Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 patch and nerf to Stendhal is coming on May 9, meaning anyone who is using it only has a few hours to make the most of the skill.

Players heavily relying on the nerfed skill will need to explore alternative strategies once the patch launches, which will offer new meta builds and freshen up gameplay.

Conclusion

Sandfall Interactive is launching a new patch for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that introduces several bug fixes and nerfs Maelle’s Stendhal skill. Are you disappointed to see the new balance changes? Will you miss the skill? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Daniel Burrows "Windfell_"

Fueled by a passion for gaming and the ever-evolving world of gaming news, Daniel loves connecting with seasoned and new players to bring games to life on the page, exploring their narratives and gaming trends. A self-published fiction and fantasy author, Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience writing gaming news and a love for storytelling that drives his enthusiasm to deliver breaking news, in-depth analysis, and industry innovations. You will find him in-game as "Windfell."