Clair Obscur Achieves Historic Sweep at The Game Awards, Taking Home Game of the Year

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home nine trophies at the 2025 Game Awards ceremony, including the prestigious Game of the Year title. This impressive haul surpasses the previous record of seven wins set by another title in 2020.

The debut title from the independent French studio Sandfall Interactive also clinched awards for Best Art Direction, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Performance, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best RPG, and Best Debut Game. Jennifer English earned the Best Performance award for her portrayal of Maelle, one of three nominees from Clair Obscur in that category. However, the game missed out on the fan-voted Players’ Choice award, which went to Wuthering Waves.

The only category where Clair Obscur did not secure a win was Best Audio Design, awarded to Battlefield 6.

The game’s success was anticipated, as it was a strong favorite leading up to the awards. Prediction markets had placed its chances of winning Game of the Year at an impressive 93% and 96%.

The achievement of Sandfall and its publisher is noteworthy. Clair Obscur started the year as an underdog, relatively unknown in the gaming community. Sandfall was a fresh face, and Kepler was a small publisher recognized for its unconventional indie titles like Pacific Drive and Sifu. Expectations had been high for Grand Theft Auto 6 to dominate the awards, but its delay into 2026 shifted the spotlight.

Upon its release in April, Clair Obscur garnered widespread acclaim from critics, and its inclusion in Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service significantly boosted its visibility. As a polished, cinematic RPG that aligns with the preferences of the Game Awards jury, it filled a gap in a year that saw fewer major game releases.

Clair Obscur faced stiff competition, going up against established franchises like Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza, Sony’s Ghost of Yōtei, and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, along with highly anticipated indie sequels such as Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2.