Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Smashes Records With Nine Wins at The Game Awards 2025
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Sandfall Interactive's debut game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won nine awards at The Game Awards 2025, breaking the previous record for most wins by a single game.
Sandfall Interactive made history at The Game Awards 2025, taking home nine trophies for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, including the coveted Game of the Year title. Reported originally by Oli Welsh at Polygon, this massive haul shatters the previous record of seven wins set by The Last of Us Part 2 in 2020. The debut RPG from the independent French studio also dominated categories for art direction, game direction, narrative, score and music, independent game, debut game, and performance, where Jennifer English won for her role as Maelle. The only major categories it missed were Best Audio Design, which went to Battlefield 6, and the fan-voted Players' Choice award, which was claimed by Wuthering Waves.
While prediction markets had heavily favored the title prior to the show, the scale of this victory is still staggering for a relatively unknown studio working alongside publisher Kepler Interactive. Released back in April, the game benefited enormously from day one availability on Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service, allowing it to build unstoppable momentum and critical acclaim during a relatively quiet year for major blockbusters. It managed to beat out heavy hitters from industry giants like Nintendo and Sony, alongside highly anticipated sequels from indie darlings.
For players, this sweep marks a massive win for creative risk-taking and shows that high-concept single-player experiences can still capture the entire cultural conversation. As we look ahead to massive upcoming releases like Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2026, Sandfall Interactive has set a towering new benchmark for what independent teams can achieve on a global stage.
Tags: Clair Obscur, The Game Awards, Gaming News, RPG, Sandfall Interactive
Original article: Polygon