The Game Awards 2025 saw an impressive sweep by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which dazzled the event by clinching nearly every accolade it was in the running for, including the coveted Game of the Year award.
Clair Obscur’s Triumphant Night
Praised RPG by Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, triumphed over strong competitors such as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to seize the title of Game of the Year.
The game’s director, Guillaume Broche, accepted the award amidst enthusiastic applause, expressing gratitude to the “incredible team” at Sandfall Interactive. Many of the team members were present at the event, dressed in costumes. Broche also acknowledged the “unsung heroes” of the gaming industry, highlighting those who provide online tutorials, stating, “we had no idea how to make a game before.”
The Game of the Year award goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! #TheGameAwards @expedition33 @sandfallgames @kepler_interact pic.twitter.com/s33D7xvdvq
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 12, 2025
Accolades and Acknowledgements
Broche personally thanked Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, for inspiring his journey into game development, and concluded his speech with the exciting announcement of the surprise release of Clair Obscur’s DLC.
The game also received awards for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score And Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best RPG. Jennifer English earned Best Performance for her role in the game. **The only categories where Clair Obscur did not secure a win were Best Audio Design, awarded to Battlefield 6, and Players’ Voice, won by Wuthering Waves.**
Unexpected Success and Impact
Released in April alongside Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Game Pass, Clair Obscur faced initial challenges but quickly gained massive popularity, reaching 5 million copies sold by October.
Reviews celebrated Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with statements like, “Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story.”
For further details on the event, check out the announcements and the complete list of winners.
Photo by Michael Tran / AFP via Getty Images.