Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the biggest surprise success of 2025 so far. But outside of the sales and player numbers, its origin is a surprise too.

Ubisoft, Clair Obscur Expedition 33

2025 is going to go down as one of the best years for gaming. We’re barely into May, and we’ve already gotten multiple hit AAA games, and the most recent hit has been Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. With over a million copies sold in just days and massive praise from critics and players, its origin story is as unlikely as its rapid rise.

What’s funny about the success of Expedition 33 is that the team that made it mainly consists of developers who used to work at Ubisoft. Game director Guillaume Broche recently revealed why he left Ubisoft during the pandemic, and it really goes to show that a creativity over profits mindset is what matters the most.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might just be Game of the Year

An image of underwater combat taking place in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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An image showcasing the aquatic backdrop with the charachters of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

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A boss fight taking place in the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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An image showing the world of Belle Époque, with volunteers set out to destroy the Paintress in Clair Obscur Expedition 33.

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An image showcasing the combat mechanics and options in the game Clair Obscur:Expedition 33.

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An image of underwater combat taking place in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
An image showcasing the aquatic backdrop with the charachters of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
A boss fight taking place in the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
An image showing the world of Belle Époque, with volunteers set out to destroy the Paintress in Clair Obscur Expedition 33.
An image showcasing the combat mechanics and options in the game Clair Obscur:Expedition 33.

In an interview with the BBC, Broche was blunt about his reasons for leaving Ubisoft in 2020. At the time, he was one of many developers feeling creatively stagnant during the pandemic. “Bored in their job and wanting to do something different,” he said, referring both to himself and others in the industry. And weirdly enough, we can thank that feeling because it led to this masterpiece.

This restlessness led him to launch what would become Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a passion project inspired by the classic JRPGs, particularly Final Fantasy, that he loved as a child. Instead of pitching it internally, he took a leap of faith, quit Ubisoft, and launched what would become Sandfall Interactive. Five years later, the gamble paid off. The studio made it, we love it, and the rest is history.

What makes Expedition 33’s success particularly remarkable is its origin story. Because, as Broche shared, there wasn’t a massive team or studio behind this project. He noted that there were times when he relied on Reddit threads and music-sharing sites to build a team. Can you imagine that?

Voice actor and lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen joined after seeing a casting post on Reddit. Composer Lorien Testard had never worked on a video game before, but caught Broche’s attention on SoundCloud. The role that COVID and sheer luck played in assembling this team is nothing short of a miracle.

If this is what it takes, maybe more devs should leave Ubisoft

A cover image of the Ubisoft logo.Image Credit: Ubisoft

The biggest thing we’re thinking of after all this is the difference between this collaborative, experimental energy and Broche’s earlier experience at Ubisoft. He didn’t go into any specifics, but his description of his former job as boring suggests a corporate culture that might be stifling creative risk-taking. It’s also in line with the criticism that Ubisoft has gotten over the last few years.

Ubisoft’s recent strategy of churning out sequels and relying on established franchises like Assassin’s Creed seems to represent everything Expedition 33 stands against. Safe bets, large teams, and rigid non-creative pipelines. We’re not here to pick sides or say which studio is right or wrong, but Sandfall Interactive has really done a phenomenal job.

We’re not even halfway into the year, and we’ve already gotten multiple Game of the Year contenders already. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 joins the year with the highest Metacritic score so far alongside the likes of Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Split Fiction, and more.