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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not only a strong Game of the Year candidate, but also a huge financial hit. Studio Sandfall Interactive along with publisher Kepler Interactive announced that this title surpassed five million copies sold, this is despite its status as a launch-day addition on Xbox Game Pass.

Its success was an unexpected turn to the developers. I was convinced that we'd create an enjoyable experience garnering some average sales results,” the COO and producer stated.

The CTO and lead programmer noted that Clair Obscur’s critical score, now standing at 93, was the greatest surprise” to the studio compared to “our initial expectations and the actual outcome of the field was. Because when it dropped all staff members were cheering loudly. It felt absolutely wild.”

The positive reception has led to work on a free update for the title with a new environment, enemies, and boss fights, as announced is coming within the “upcoming month[s]”.

Nevertheless, despite the game's evolution, don’t expect the studio to grow. We've built a talented crew with a strong creative director who has a great vision for this game and future concepts. We intend to preserve the small-team dynamic that led to our success and do maybe one big game after another,” the producer noted.

The studio's scale sparked plenty of debate following launch. Certain industry figures, such as the famed director, looked at Sandfall’s team as the model for creative teams. Despite being indeed a small team compared to its AAA counterparts, checking the game's credits reveals many individuals participated; the French studio partnered with overseas animators handling movement and effects, as an instance.

“Some hiring will occur a bit more for sure if we have next an upcoming production peak in the coming years,” the executive stated. “But I would see rather a creative atelier with a small number of really talented people that create artistic collaborations.” They emphasized that Sandfall’s vision as developers “focuses on preserving the successful elements that enabled this success from the start.”

While it may be premature for the studio to reveal exact details regarding upcoming titles — believe me, I tried to get them to — they are certain their essential identity. “Turn-based gameplay, is integral to our identity of what we built,” they said. “It's a bit too early to announce future passions, but it's important also to adhere to our studio's essence featuring rich storytelling plus innovative play that inspires the team.”

They noted that the project began with their director pursuing his ideal project. And hopefully that's something we can continue with upcoming games.”