Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has had its wins at the Indie Game Awards rescinded after organisers confirmed the game used generative AI assets during development.
The decision was confirmed in an FAQ published on the Indie Game Awards website, which clarified that the acclaimed RPG was disqualified after developer Sandfall Interactive acknowledged that gen AI had been used to create placeholder assets during production.
While those assets were later patched out of the game, organisers said their use still violated the awards’ rules.
Indie Game Awards cite strict gen AI policy
According to organisers, the Indie Game Awards maintains a hard stance against the use of generative AI throughout both the nomination process and the ceremony itself.
When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was originally submitted, a representative for Sandfall Interactive had “agreed that no gen AI was used” in development.
That position changed when Sandfall Interactive confirmed the use of gen AI art earlier in production. The FAQ states that this confirmation automatically disqualified the “wonderful game” from its nominations.
A video message released on The Indie Game Awards on Bluesky provided additional information.
As a result, the Indie Game Awards nomination committee agreed to officially retract both the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards previously given to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The organisers confirmed that the Debut Game award had been reassigned to Sorry We’re Closed, while Game of the Year was awarded to Blue Prince. Both studios, à la mode games and Dogubomb, have been notified and invited to record acceptance speeches.
The Indie Game Awards added that because the ceremony took place just ahead of the holiday break, the new acceptance speeches are expected to be recorded and published in early 2026.
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