Indie Game Awards Revokes Honors from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This year has seen Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerge as a dominant force in the gaming industry, amassing accolades at various award ceremonies, including an unprecedented number of wins at The Game Awards 2025. However, the Indie Game Awards (IGA) has recently made headlines by retracting two of its prestigious awards from Sandfall Interactive’s acclaimed RPG, following renewed scrutiny regarding the studio’s use of generative AI tools during the game’s development.
Mike Towndrow, a representative from Six One Indie, which oversees the IGA, confirmed the decision in a video shared on Bluesky. He stated, “As you know, we have a hard stance against gen-AI in videogames, and it’s something we talk about throughout the year when discussing any potential nominees.” He further elaborated that on the day of the award show, Sandfall Interactive acknowledged the use of generative AI in the creation of Expedition 33.
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– The Indie Game Awards (@indiegameawards.gg) 20 December 2025 at 18:45
Towndrow emphasized that it was previously agreed upon during the submission process that no generative AI would be utilized in the development of Expedition 33. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case. That clearly goes against the regulations we have in place and disqualifies it from nomination,” he explained. The IGA’s eligibility criteria explicitly state that “games developed using generative AI are strictly ineligible for nomination.”
With Expedition 33 now removed from contention, the coveted Game of the Year award has been awarded to former runner-up Blue Prince, a choice that many, including this writer, find commendable, especially considering its close competition with Silksong. Additionally, the Debut Game award has been bestowed upon Sorry We’re Closed. Both titles are now proudly displayed alongside other winners on the IGA website.
The conversation surrounding AI in gaming has gained momentum, particularly following remarks from Larian CEO Swen Vincke regarding the use of generative AI tools in the development of the upcoming RPG, Divinity. Sandfall has acknowledged that a limited amount of generative AI was employed during the making of Expedition 33, and some in-game assets that players flagged as potentially AI-generated were replaced in an early patch.
Sandfall’s previous accolades at the IGAs had already sparked debate due to Expedition 33’s substantial budget, which some argued contradicted the ‘spirit’ of the indie celebration. Nonetheless, the game still secured wins for Best Indie Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards. For those eager to hear acceptance speeches from the newly crowned winners, Towndrow mentioned that both Dogubomb and A La Mode Games have been invited to record their speeches, which are expected to be released after the holiday season.
