President of France calls videogames part of culture and announces global festival

Emmanuel Macron announced international videogame festival in France, after success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for a new international videogame festival in France, saying that games should be recognised as part of the country’s culture and heritage.

Macron made the announcement during an address at the Lumiere Summit, a conference focused on the future of cinema and the moving image.

He said the proposed festival would bring together creators, gamers and the videogame industry.

“I firmly believe that videogames are part of our culture,” Macron said, adding that games should be considered part of France’s cultural heritage alongside films and other creative work.

“Therefore, we will create an international videogame festival conceived from the outset as a major global event for creativity, innovation, gamers, and the industry. The great global successes of French videogames remind us of the richness of this creative endeavor, this creativity, which is also an industry. We must further celebrate it and strive to gain everyone's support.”

Macron did not specifically mention Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 during the announcement. However, the French role-playing game has previously received public recognition from the president after its commercial and awards success.

The game was developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and became one of the prominent French videogame releases of 2025.

Macron also discussed wider changes affecting film, television, animation and videogames, including artificial intelligence, platforms and evolving funding models.

“Faced with challenges that know no borders, no nation can act alone. That is why, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France and South Korea—two great nations of creation committed to cultural diversity and their sovereignty—are bringing together those who create, produce, finance, distribute, innovate, and decide.”

Further details about the proposed videogame festival, including its name, location and schedule, have not been announced.