Despite Overwhelming Achievement, Clair Obscur Creators Aim to Keep Team Small

The game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just a top Game of the Year contender, it’s also an enormous sales triumph. Studio Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive disclosed that this title topped 5 million units sold, and that’s despite its status as a launch-day addition through the Game Pass service.

The game's performance came as quite a shock to Sandfall. I firmly believed that we would have a good game garnering moderate market performance,” a senior team member explained.

A technical director pointed out that Clair Obscur’s review aggregate, which currently sits at 93, was “maybe the biggest shock to the team compared to “our initial expectations and what the reality of the field was. Because when it dropped everybody in the studio was screaming and jumping. It was really frantic.”

The positive reception has led to work on new free content for the game featuring fresh areas, foes, and boss fights, as announced will release in the next few months.

That said, while the game is growing, it's unlikely the studio to grow. Our team includes a talented crew guided by a visionary director with a clear direction for this game and future concepts. Our goal is to maintain the close-knit size that made this possible then develop one big game after another,” they said.

The size of Sandfall sparked significant conversation following launch. A few well-known creators, including renowned designers, looked at this studio as a perfect example for creative teams. Although the team is and was relatively lean compared to its AAA counterparts, one glance at the game's credits shows that dozens of people participated; Sandfall contracted a Korean team handling movement and effects, for example.

“We will hire a bit more for sure if we have next an upcoming production peak in the coming years,” the executive stated. “However, I envision more of a workshop of a few highly skilled individuals that create a work of art together.” He noted that the studio's philosophy as a studio “focuses on preserving the strengths that led to this accomplishment originally.”

Although it's premature for the studio to say specifically regarding upcoming titles — and trust me, I attempted to learn more — they are certain their fundamental principles. “The turn-based aspect, forms the foundation of this project,” a developer remarked. “It's still premature to specify future passions, but it's important also to adhere to our studio's essence through compelling worlds plus innovative play that drives our passion.”

The developer mentioned that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 began with the visionary developing his passion title. We aspire this approach we can continue as well for future productions.”