Some games launch quietly. Others detonate. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did both. It rolled in earlier this year, smacked us upside the head with a baguette, whispered “bonjour,” and then went and won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025.
Now the team at Sandfall Interactive has celebrated by releasing a huge free thank you update for every player who’s been screaming, crying, and throwing roses at their monitor since April.
Before we get into the good stuff: Yes, this is one of the games that actually deserved its flowers.
What’s in the Thank You Update
The patch is rolling out across all platforms right now and includes:
• A brand new playable environment
Verso’s Drafts, a storybook dimension tied to a young Verso. Expect whimsical vibes followed by deeply cursed moments. Fans are already theorising, and we have not slept.
• New music from Lorien Testard
Fresh tracks from the now award-winning composer. The OST is up on streaming, and it absolutely slaps. Perfect for dramatic main-character walks to the train station.
• Late-game boss battles in the Endless Tower
More pain, more glory, more loot. Beat them to unlock Pictos, costumes, and gear.
• Official Photo Mode
Every JRPG fan’s dream. Finally, you can immortalise your most feral builds and emotional damage in crisp detail.
• New localisation options
Czech, Ukrainian, Latin American Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian. Total supported languages: 19.
• FSR 4 support and tech upgrades
Sharper visuals, smoother frames, happier eyeballs.
• Quality of life improvements across all systems
Better performance, especially on handheld PCs. Steam Deck players rejoice.
Watch the update trailer here:
Expedition 33 just made history
At The Game Awards, Sandfall didn’t just win GOTY. They walked out with nine awards, including:
- Best Independent Game
- Best Performer (Jennifer English supremacy)
- Best Art Direction
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Score and Music
- Best RPG
- Best Narrative
- Best Game Direction
- Game of the Year
Twelve nominations. Nine wins. A debut title. Unhinged behaviour and we love it.
Since launch, the game has:
- Sold over five million units
- Sparked an entire new generation of fan artists and cosplayers
- Given turn-based combat, the sexiest glow-up we’ve seen in years
- Proved that French art direction still owns us
If you’re ND and love a game that lets you hyperfocus on timing mechanics, visual cues, and emotional worldbuilding, Expedition 33 is basically enrichment for the brain.
Where to play
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out now on:
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X/S
• PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic
• Official Game Website
• Soundtrack Streaming
• Sandfall Interactive
• Kepler Interactive
Why this win matters
Sandfall is a small French studio with huge ambition. Founded in 2020. First-ever release. Already reshaping the future of reactive turn-based RPGs. Their work feels hand-crafted, painterly, and deliberate. A direct antidote to bloated AAA homogeneity.
If you’ve ever felt underestimated or like the world didn’t see the way your brain works, Expedition 33 hits with that exact catharsis. It rewards precision, rhythm, intuition and pattern recognition. The mechanics feel designed by people who understand neurodivergent flow states.
It is art. It is combat. It is everything.
TLDR;
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025
• Free update out now with a new area, bosses, Photo Mode, new music, and tech upgrades
• Game now supports 19 languages
• Everyone is talking about it for a reason
This world is worth saving.
Stay unruly.
