Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: 5 Million Sales & GOTY Without a AAA Budget
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 actually did it. After securing critical acclaim and massive commercial success, the debut indie title from French studio Sandfall Interactive swept the Game Awards 2025, taking home 9 trophies including Game of the Year.
While major publishers continue to burn through hundreds of millions with mixed results, we now have the official numbers on this RPG’s budget. And honestly? It puts the industry giants to shame.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Budget Revealed: Under $10 Million
Before taking the stage at the Game Awards, Guillaume Broche, CEO and Creative Director of Sandfall Interactive, spoke with the New York Times. The report revealed a shocking statistic: the development budget for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was under $10 million.
In an industry where production costs are rarely public, this figure is staggering when compared to the competition. For context, we recently learned that Activision invested over $450 million in the lifecycle of Call of Duty: Black Ops III, $640 million for Modern Warfare, and a whopping $700 million for Black Ops Cold War.
Sandfall Interactive has achieved the impossible. Studio representatives have frequently attributed this success to the agility of a small team and the accessibility of modern development tools. In a humble moment on the TGA stage, Broche even thanked the content creators who share development tutorials on YouTube.
Sales Figures & The Xbox Game Pass Success
You don’t need to be a financial analyst to see the win here. With over 5 million copies sold and a substantial check from Microsoft to launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is massively profitable.
Publisher Kepler Interactive played a crucial role here, executing a brilliant hybrid strategy. By leveraging the Game Pass visibility while maintaining strong direct sales on other platforms, they proved that subscription services don’t cannibalize success—they amplify it for the right game.
Sandfall Interactive: Future of the Clair Obscur Franchise
Sandfall Interactive now sits on a comfortable war chest for their next move. However, don’t expect them to balloon in size. Based on recent statements, the studio intends to maintain its lean structure unless a specific creative idea demands expansion.
Guillaume Broche confirmed that “Clair Obscur” is the franchise name, implying that Expedition 33 is just the beginning. Fans are already clamoring for a new story set in this universe—perhaps a different Expedition entirely.
While we will have to be patient to see exactly what the team is cooking up next, the studio dropped a “Thank You” update to tide players over, adding brand-new content to the game.
Deal Alert: Don’t Pay Full Price
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Review: Why Expedition 33 Embarrasses AAA Studios
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC, and remains accessible via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Its success sends a clear message: creativity and art direction trump raw spending power. It proves that a sub-$10 million game can outshine billion-dollar franchises if the soul of the game is right.
After seeing this, would you still pay $70 for a bloated AAA sequel, or is Expedition 33 the final nail in the coffin for big-budget gaming? Tell us below.
Game Designer raised on metal music and RPGs. I approach gaming news with a cool head. I dissect the technical and narrative aspects without ever forcing it. A relaxed writing style that analyses everything from FPS to RPG.
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