Sandfall Interactive co-founder François Meurisse is clear that the commercial success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will not dictate the creative path of the studio’s next project. After selling over five million units in just six months and sweeping the 2025 awards, the French developer is now starting preliminary work on a sequel. While the industry usually expects studios to replicate a breakout hit, Sandfall’s leadership seems more focused on maintaining the unique vision that initially brought them success.
In a recent talk with Edge magazine, Meurisse recognized the stress of following a “defining hit,” but he dismissed the idea that the studio would shift to chase market trends. Instead, they will prioritize their own instincts. Lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen supported this view, describing the studio’s tastes as their “North Star.” She pointed out the risk of falling into the “people pleaser” trap, which often leads developers to try to meet every fan demand. When this happens, the end product can lose the very identity that attracted those fans in the first place.
The upcoming project is framed as yet another “artsy” effort, likely still within the Clair Obscur universe. CEO Guillaume Broche has hinted that the name Clair Obscur will act as a franchise umbrella, with Expedition 33 being just one story in a larger collection. This suggests a structure similar to the Final Fantasy series—the primary inspiration for the studio—where key themes and artistic direction remain consistent, even as the characters and settings evolve.
Despite the financial success of 2025, the studio is purposefully avoiding the pitfalls that often trap mid-sized developers. Lead programmer Tom Guillermin has said the team is currently at the “right size” for the ambitious, turn-based RPGs they aim to create. With a development cycle expected to match the five-to-six years of their debut, it’s likely that Sandfall’s next major release won’t arrive until the turn of the decade, firmly positioning it for the next console generation.
