“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Studio Thrives After Hiring Young Talent Amid Financial Struggles”

The developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have shared insights into their youthful team, attributing it largely to the studio’s limited recognition and budget constraints.

In a conversation, the creative director, Guillaume Broche, noted that Montpellier is a notably young city, which influenced their hiring. He mentioned that most applicants were either juniors or recent graduates, but he views this positively, stating that “the best portfolios that we got were from juniors.”

Broche further explained that their status as a lesser-known company played a significant role in their hiring choices, as experienced professionals often prefer more established firms. Michel Nora, the lead game designer, emphasized the financial challenges, stating that attracting senior talent is nearly impossible without sufficient funding, which was lacking initially.

Despite these challenges, the team discovered that their younger workforce was beneficial to the development process. Nora pointed out that these new hires lacked preconceived notions about studio operations and game development, allowing them to introduce innovative ideas that greatly contributed to the project. He described this approach as a “good decision,” even if it was made out of necessity.

Francois Meurisse, the producer, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the advantage of not having “bad habits” from previous experiences in the industry. He noted that the team was focused on creating something fresh and even developing new skills from the ground up, although he acknowledged it meant they often had to “do twice the work.”

Before clinching indie awards at TGA, the lead for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 expressed a preference for smaller studios to be recognized in their category.