Indie Game Awards withdraw Clair Obscur honours over generative AI asset use

Indie Game Awards rescinded Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s prizes after confirming generative AI assets used at launch

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has had its major wins at the Indie Game Awards withdrawn following confirmation that generative artificial intelligence assets were used in the game’s initial release.

The title had received both Game of the Year and Debut Game honours on Thursday, but the awards were rescinded two days later.

Developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive were informed of the decision after the Indie Game Awards reviewed the game’s production history.

According to an update published on the organisation’s FAQ page, representatives of Sandfall Interactive had agreed at the time of submission that no generative AI was used in the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

The Indie Game Awards stated that this position changed on the day of the 2025 ceremony, when Sandfall Interactive confirmed that generative AI art had been used during the production process. The organisation said this confirmation disqualified the game from its nominations, despite the assets being removed shortly after launch.

Though the AI-generated elements were patched out within days of release, the Indie Game Awards said their inclusion at launch was sufficient grounds to retract the honours already awarded. The organisation added that its rules apply to production practices rather than the game’s current state.

Comments from Sandfall Interactive creative director François Meurisse resurfaced on social media following the decision. In an interview published by El País in June, Meurisse acknowledged limited use of generative AI during development.

“We used some AI, but not much,” he said. “The key is that we were very clear about what we wanted to do and where to invest our efforts.”

Players had previously identified suspected AI-generated textures shortly after release, which Sandfall later replaced with custom assets in a patch issued five days later. Discussion of the assets appeared on social platforms, including X and Reddit, though the reaction was relatively limited.

The Indie Game Awards confirmed that the Debut Game prize will now be awarded to Sorry We’re Closed, while Game of the Year will go to Blue Prince. Acceptance speeches from both development teams are expected to be released in early 2026.