Indie Game Awards Revokes Clair Obscur’s Game of the Year Titles Due to Generative AI Use

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 snagged the Game of the Year and Debut Game awards at the Indie Game Awards, but the team at Sandfall Interactive had little time to celebrate. Just two days later, the awards were rescinded due to the game’s initial use of generative AI assets, which were promptly removed in a patch.

According to the Indie Game Awards’ FAQ, Sandfall Interactive representatives initially stated that no generative AI was involved in the game’s development when it was submitted for consideration. However, after confirming the use of generative AI art on the day of the awards, the organization disqualified Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, leading to the retraction of its honors. Despite the assets being patched out, their prior inclusion was enough for the disqualification.

Earlier comments from Sandfall Interactive’s François Meurisse circulated on social media, coinciding with a broader discussion about generative AI in gaming, sparked by Larian Studios’ Swen Vincke mentioning their use of AI tools for the upcoming Divinity. Meurisse had previously acknowledged the minimal use of generative AI in Clair Obscur’s development. In an interview with a Spanish outlet, he noted, “We used some AI, but not much. The key is that we were very clear about what we wanted to do and where to invest our efforts. And, of course, technology has allowed us to do things that were unthinkable not long ago.”

Upon launch, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 featured textures that some suspected were AI-generated, which were later replaced with custom assets in a patch just five days post-release. While users on platforms like X and Reddit identified the AI assets, the issue didn’t gain significant traction. Sandfall and Clair Obscur faced far less backlash compared to other titles, such as 11 Bit Studios’ The Alters, which also incorporated AI-generated background elements.

In the wake of these events, the Indie Game Awards will now honor two other titles in the categories previously awarded to Clair Obscur. The Debut Game award will go to Sorry We’re Closed, while the Game of the Year honor will be given to Blue Prince, which has also been recognized as the best game of 2025. Acceptance speeches from the developers of both games are expected to be shared in early 2026.