In spite of Runaway Success, Clair Obscur Creators Plan to Maintain Team Small

The game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just an impressive GOTY contender, but also a massive financial hit. Studio the development team along with publisher Kepler Interactive disclosed that this title topped five million copies in sales, and that’s in spite of it being a day-one release through the Game Pass service.

Its success came as quite a surprise to the developers. “I was strongly believing that we would have a solid title achieving moderate commercial success,” a key executive explained.

The CTO and lead programmer pointed out this title's critical score, which currently sits at 93, was the most surprising moment to the studio versus “our initial expectations and what the reality turned out to be. Once it was published the entire team celebrated excitedly. The energy was electric.”

This triumph has led to work on a complimentary expansion for the game featuring fresh areas, enemies, and boss fights, reportedly is coming within the “upcoming month[s]”.

However, while the game is growing, it's unlikely they'll hire extensively. “We have a talented crew under clear creative leadership possessing strong ideas for this game and also for new ideas. We intend to preserve the close-knit size that made this possible and do maybe large projects one by one,” the producer said.

The studio's scale drummed up plenty of debate upon the title's release. Certain industry figures, like Hideo Kojima, considered Sandfall’s team as a perfect example for game development. Despite being relatively lean next to major studios, a quick look at the game's credits shows that numerous contributors were involved; the French studio partnered with overseas animators handling movement and effects, to illustrate.

“We will hire slightly more for sure should there be next an upcoming production peak down the line,” the producer commented. “Yet I picture more of a workshop comprising a handful exceptionally gifted creators capable of producing artistic collaborations.” They emphasized that Sandfall’s vision as a company “aims to keep the key advantages that led to this accomplishment in the first place.”

While it may be not the right time to say specifically about future projects — rest assured, efforts were made — they are certain their essential identity. “Turn-based gameplay, forms the foundation of our creations,” a developer explained. “It's a bit too early to specify our next interests, but it's important also to adhere to our studio's essence with [a] strong narrative universe and engaging mechanics that inspires the team.”

The developer mentioned that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 started with the creative director “work[ing] on his dream game. It is hoped that philosophy we will be able to do with upcoming games.”