The end of 2025 was marked by an unexpected controversy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While the JRPG from studio Sandfall Entertainment had just concluded a critically acclaimed year, information emerged concerning the use of generative artificial intelligence during its development. A revelation which quickly aroused incomprehension and disappointment among certain players, in a context where AI remains a particularly sensitive subject in video games.
Faced with the scale of the reactions, the game’s creative director, Guillaume Brioche, wanted to speak out to clarify the situation and reestablish what he considers to be the truth about the studio’s practices.
Guillaume Brioche clarifies the use of AI in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Invited to speak to YouTuber Sushi, Guillaume Brioche provided a detailed explanation on the temporary integration of AI into the game’s creation process. He bluntly stated: “Everything in the game is made by humans.” According to him, the arrival of these tools in 2022 came when the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was already well advanced.
The director explains that the team briefly tested this technology, without ever adopting it sustainably. “When AI appeared in 2022, we had already started working on the game. It was just a new tool, we tried it, and we didn’t like it at all, it didn’t fit.” An attempt quickly abandoned, deemed incompatible with the artistic vision carried by Sandfall.
Limited use and quickly abandoned by Sandfall Entertainment
Guillaume Brioche specifies that artificial intelligence only served as a temporary solution, within a very specific framework. “We initially used it as a temporary fix for the textures we were missing, but we removed it as soon as we noticed it.” No final content of the game would therefore have been preserved from these tests.
The director insists that major aspects such as artistic direction or dubbing have never been entrusted to automated tools. He reaffirms that “everything is done by man”, recalling that these areas could nevertheless have been tempting for a partial integration of AI. Sandfall Entertainment also affirms that no tool of this type will be used in its future projects.
A controversy amplified by the withdrawal of official awards
This clarification comes in an already tense climate around artificial intelligence in video games. The discovery of these tests contributed to tarnishing the image of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, to the point that two awards were withdrawn, including Game of the Year at the Indie Game Awards. The organization indeed applies a strict policy prohibiting any use of generative AI.
Sandfall’s situation is part of a larger trend. Several major productions have recently come under fire for the alleged use of AI-generated assets, fueling growing public distrust.
The future of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in the face of debates on AI
Guillaume Brioche, however, is confident about the future of the game and the studio. He recognizes that technological developments remain difficult to anticipate, while asserting a clear line for Sandfall. “It’s quite difficult to predict what the future will look like, but everything will be made by humans from us.”
Despite the controversy, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 retains a special place among players and critics. This case above all illustrates the extreme sensitivity of the subject of AI in video games, where the line between experimentation and rejection remains thin, and where studio transparency becomes a central issue.