Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Earns Record-Breaking 12 Game Awards Nominations

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has made history at The Game Awards 2025, securing 12 nominations—the most any single game has ever received in the event's 11-year existence. The French indie RPG from Montpellier-based Sandfall Interactive dominates this year's nominations across major categories including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and an unprecedented three Best Performance nominations for its star-studded voice cast.

Developed by a core team of just 30 people, Clair Obscur combines turn-based RPG mechanics with real-time combat elements set against a Belle Époque France-inspired dark fantasy world. The game features Art Deco visual design and follows Expedition 33's volunteers as they attempt to destroy the Paintress, a mysterious entity that has caused all humans at or above a specific age to vanish each year for 67 years on the isolated island of Lumière. Released April 24, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC as a day-one Game Pass title, the $49.99 game has sold over 5 million copies and achieved a 92 Metacritic score—the highest-rated game of 2025.

The twelve nomination categories include Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score & Music (composer Lorien Testard), Best Audio Design, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Independent Game, Best Role-Playing Game, and three Best Performance nominations: Jennifer English (Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart) as Maelle, Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) as Verso, and Charlie Cox (Marvel's Daredevil) as Gustave in his first video game role. This marks the first time a single game has received three Best Performance nominations simultaneously.

The voice cast represents one of gaming's most impressive celebrity ensembles. Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Black Panther) voices Renoir, while the cast also includes Kirsty Rider as Lune, Shala Nyx as Sciel, and Tracy Wiles (Baldur's Gate III) as The Paintress. Founded in 2020 by former Ubisoft employee Guillaume Broche during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sandfall Interactive secured partnership and funding from publisher Kepler Interactive in early 2023. The game's distinctive Belle Époque setting emerged after the director reset the story mid-development, opting for a period the French team knew intimately combined with Art Deco aesthetics to create a unique visual identity.

Clair Obscur faces formidable competition in the Game of the Year category against Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (8 nominations), Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II (6-7 nominations), Hollow Knight: Silksong (5 nominations), and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Sony Interactive Entertainment leads all publishers with 19 total nominations, followed by Kepler Interactive with 13 and Microsoft and Electronic Arts with 10 each. Ghost of Yōtei earned 8 nominations including Best Game Direction, while the nominations also include Japanese representation through composer Shuuman Otowa, VTuber Sakura Miko for Content Creator, and esports athlete Sho Watanabe.

The Game Awards 2025 ceremony takes place December 11, 2025, from 5:00-8:00 PM PT at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, streaming on YouTube, Twitch, and Prime Video. Fan voting opened immediately following the nominations announcement and continues through December 10, with winners determined by 90% voting jury and 10% public fan vote. Voters can participate through The Game Awards official website and Discord server. For more information about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, visit expedition33.com, or find The Game Awards voting details at thegameawards.com.

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