After the day-long Twitter storm regarding the inclusion of some generative AI assets within Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which led to its disqualification from the Indie Game Awards despite great critical acclaim, Sandfall Interactive decided to come out and make a public statement. In a fresh interview with the studio director Guillaume Broche and art director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe, the two clarified that the AI-generated elements found in the final build were never meant for public appearance and were treated as remnants of an experimental phase, now behind the studio.
The developers went on to state that the contested assets were used as placeholders during early works when the team was testing the new technology. However, Broche stated firmly that it felt wrong by relying on those tools, and, in the end, this did not contribute to the vision of creativity the studio had for the project. Though they were patched out after a short time from launching the game, that little mistake turned out to be extremely costly, resulting in the loss of the Best Debut and Game of the Year awards at the Indie Game Awards considering the very strict criteria of “no-AI” eligibility in cases of nomination.
Going forward, Sandfall Interactive stated that all its future projects would henceforth be “done by humans”. This voice is growing stronger in the industry as developers contend with where the use of generative tools becomes ethical and acceptable. The studio’s position is in line with Larian Studios, who confessed to the use of AI for some organizational functions while otherwise holding a stern anti-AI stance against using it for any creative work viewed directly by players. By fundamentally distancing itself from this technology, Sandfall wants to reinforce its standing on traditional craftsmanship along with the specialized skills of its artistic and design teams.
Yet, with or without indie accolades, the chronicles of Expedition 33 bear the story of success. It swept the 2025 Game Awards, with more wins than any of its opposition, confirming it as nothing short of legendary within any reading of the RPG canon. For Sandfall, the AI controversy can only serve as a cautionary tale and decisive dividing line: after it, the fate of their output rests in the hands of humanity and not in AI.
