Clair Obscur Developers Aim to Maintain a Small Team Amidst Major Success
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Shatters Expectations with Five Million Copies Sold
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has not only emerged as a strong contender for Game of the Year but has also achieved a remarkable commercial milestone. Developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, the game has surpassed five million copies in sales, despite being available on Xbox Game Pass from day one. The unexpected success has taken Sandfall by surprise. “I was strongly believing that we would have a good game that would meet some average commercial success,” stated COO and producer Francois Meurisse during an interview with Emegypt.
Clair Obscur’s Critical Acclaim and Production Insights
CTO and lead programmer Tom Guillermin noted that the game’s current Metacritic rating of 93 was an unexpected delight. “Maybe the biggest shock compared to our initial expectations,” he commented. “When it dropped, everybody in the studio was screaming and jumping. It was really frantic.”
The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has led to the development of a free update featuring new environments, enemies, and boss fights, slated for release in the coming months. Despite the game’s expanding universe, Sandfall Interactive intends to maintain its human-scale approach to development. “We have a great team with a strong creative director [Guillaume Broche] who has a great vision for this game and also for new ideas. We’d like to keep the human scale that worked for this game and do maybe one big game after another,” Meurisse explained.
Sandfall’s Strategic Growth and Industry Recognition
The size of Sandfall Interactive’s team has garnered attention within the gaming industry, with notable figures such as Hideo Kojima praising it as an “ideal” studio. While significantly smaller than AAA counterparts, Sandfall has collaborated with external teams, such as a Korean team for gameplay animations. “We will hire a bit more for sure if we have an upcoming production peak in upcoming years,” Meurisse noted. “But I would see more of a workshop of a few really talented people that can make a work of art together.”
Future Plans and Core Development Philosophy
While it remains too early to disclose specific future projects, Sandfall Interactive is committed to retaining the core elements that contributed to its success. “The turn-based aspect, I think it’s in the DNA of what we built,” stated Guillermin. The studio aims to uphold a strong narrative universe and engaging gameplay that excites both developers and fans. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 began as Creative Director Guillaume Broche’s dream project, and the team hopes to continue creating such fulfilling experiences in the future.
