Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the critically acclaimed role-playing game from French developer Sandfall Interactive, has been stripped of two of its multiple year-end honors due to its use of generative artificial intelligence during development. Expedition 33 was also named Game of the Year and Best Launch Game at the 2025 Independent Games Awards earlier this week, after winning Game of the Year at the 2025 Game Awards, along with eight other honors. Organizers of the Independent Games Awards have now withdrawn both awards, citing the event’s strict rules on the use of Gen AI.
Expedition 33 IGA win revoked
The 2025 Independent Games Awards were held on December 18, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning the Game of the Year and Debut Game categories. However, just as the game was winning the Indie Awards, an old Sandfall interview resurfaced, in which the studio confirmed the use of generative AI in the game’s development.
The IGA has strict awards eligibility policies that prohibit the use of generative AI in game development. The FAQ section on the event’s website states that “games developed using generative artificial intelligence are strictly ineligible for nominations.” When Six One Indie, the group that produces and organizes the IGA, learned of Sandfall Interactive’s comments about its use of AI, the organization disqualified Expedition 33 and withdrew the two awards the game had won at the 2025 Independent Games Awards.
“The Independent Games Awards have taken a strong stance on the use of gen AI throughout the nomination process and awards ceremony,” organizers explained on the IGA website. “At the time of submission for consideration, a representative from Sandfall Interactive agreed that no gen AI was used during the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
“Given that Sandfall Interactive’s re-interview confirmation was brought to our attention on premiere day at the 2025 Independent Game Awards, this does disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from being nominated.
“While the asset in question has been fixed and it’s a fantastic game, it does violate our existing rules. As a result, the IGA Nominating Committee has agreed to formally revoke the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards.”
After withdrawing the award from Expedition 33, IGA organizers gave two honors to the second-place games in their respective categories, with Sorry We’re Closed winning Debut Game and Blue Prince winning Game of the Year.
Sandfall provides clarification on use of artificial intelligence
Sandfall did not comment on the withdrawal of the award, but provided clarification on the use of artificial intelligence in an initial interview with El Pais. The interview resurfaced after Larian Studios, the developer of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity, admitted to experimenting with generating artificial intelligence during the development of its games.
“The studio said it contacted The Nation on April 25, three months before this article was published. In those communications, Sandfall Interactive said it used a limited number of existing assets, specifically 3D assets from the Unreal Engine Marketplace. None of these assets were created using artificial intelligence,” Sandfall said in a clarification.
“Sandfall Interactive has further clarified that no assets created by generative AI exist in the game. When the first AI tools launched in 2022, some members of the team briefly experimented with them to generate temporary placeholder textures. Following release, instances of the placeholder textures were removed within 5 days and replaced with the correct textures that had always been intended for release but were missed during the quality assurance process,” the studio added.
Artificial Intelligence in Game Development
The use of generative artificial intelligence in game development has become a controversial issue as studios try to use the technology to reduce production costs and shorten development times. While creatives and gamers are opposed to the use of AI in the games industry, some game developers have admitted to using generative AI to create placeholder assets, text, voiceovers, and concept art.
Larian Studios faced backlash online last week after CEO Sven Vincke told Bloomberg that the company uses generative AI in its workflow. Subsequent criticism from fans forced Vincke to clarify that the use of artificial intelligence was not a replacement for Larian’s artists and creative staff.
Embark Studios, the developer of popular extraction shooter Arc Raiders, has admitted to using artificial intelligence-generated voiceovers in the game. Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard is facing criticism for its alleged use of AI-generated art in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Earlier this week, Blue Prince publisher Raw Fury debunked rumors of using generative artificial intelligence in indie game development. In a statement from
