French President Emmanuel Macron has congratulated Montpellier-based Sandfall Interactive officially this week for that studio’s historic showing at The Game Awards 2025 for their celebrated RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The title secured a record-breaking nine awards at the Los Angeles ceremony, becoming the first French production to win the top honor and earning the distinction of the most-awarded game in the event’s history. The victory was hailed by Macron on Instagram, who celebrated the achievement as a “historic first” and a matter of “great pride for Montpellier and for France.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went into the awards show with twelve nominations in ten categories and ended with 30 percent of all awards presented for that night. The nine trophies taken home by the turn-based RPG broke the previous record of seven, and those were held by The Last of Us Part II since 2020. In addition, Sandfall Interactive instantly capitalized on the international spotlight by shadow-dropping a free content update for the game immediately during the event, including a new location and an elaborate photo mode.
But while the nation would be celebrating, the President’s message met immediate skepticism and backlash as users took to social media. Critics were quick to bring to light the President’s controversial statements made in July 2023, immediately after the country observed rioting, when he, with much sensation, said that some people went through “experiencing, on the streets, the video games that have intoxicated them,” thus putting the blame on the entertainment medium for inciting real-world violence.
Although the French leader later clarified his position—stating in September 2023 that he only criticized the “gamification of violence” and not the medium itself—many commenters accused him of opportunistic behavior. They suggested his sudden and vocal congratulations were a cynical attempt to claim political credit rather than offer sincere support for the country’s burgeoning interactive entertainment sector. This latest incident serves to further amplify strains that already constitute ongoing tensions between national political figures and the artistic legitimacy of the French game development industry.
