Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Receives a Major Boost from The Game Awards

Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is experiencing an impressive resurgence this month after clinching Game of the Year honors at The Game Awards. Initially one of the standout titles of the year, this recognition has propelled Expedition 33 to new heights. Alinea Analytics reports a 21% increase in sales on PlayStation 5 and a staggering 76% boost on Steam. The rise on Xbox was more modest at 3%, likely due to its availability on Game Pass. Overall, post-award sales across PC and consoles are estimated to exceed 200,000 additional copies.

In a savvy move, Sandfall launched new DLC for Expedition 33 almost immediately after its award win, which likely contributed to a surge of both new and returning players. This influx pushed the game to a peak of 56,993 concurrent players over the weekend, according to SteamDB, marking its highest count since June. Circana’s senior director Mat Piscatella highlighted on Bluesky that the percentage of active players in the US on PS, Xbox, and Steam more than tripled by December 13 compared to December 10, with Steam showing the most significant increase.

On December 13, daily active users ranked 13th on Steam, 30th on PlayStation, and 33rd on Xbox in the US. Piscatella clarified that “engagement” refers to anyone who started the game, whether they just browsed the menu or played for an extended period. Active player metrics reflect the percentage of all users who played any game that day on PS, Xbox, or Steam.

Expedition 33 made history at The Game Awards by winning nine out of the 13 categories it was nominated for. French President Emmanuel Macron even extended his congratulations to the developers at Sandfall for their achievements.