December 23, 2025 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the breakout RPG that dominated The Game Awards 2025 with a record 9 wins including GOTY, has been stripped of its Indie Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year and Best Debut titles after it was revealed the developer used generative AI during production.

What Happened: The AI Controversy

Sandfall Interactive's acclaimed turn-based RPG used generative AI to create early concept art. Although these assets were later replaced, the use violated the Indie Game Awards' strict no-gen-AI rule. The awards were revoked shortly after the ceremony, with Game of the Year reassigned to puzzle game Blue Prince.

Full Timeline of Events

Indie Game Awards AI Rules Explained

The FAQ explicitly states: "Games developed using generative artificial intelligence are strictly ineligible for nomination." This applies even to concept/prototype stages – a harder line than TGA, which has no such ban.

Developer & Community Reactions

• Sandfall Interactive: No official response yet; earlier interview called AI "rapid prototyping tool" later removed.
• Indie Game Awards: "Submission promised no AI; evidence showed otherwise. Rules must be upheld."
• Community (X/Reddit): Split – some praise strict ethics, others call it overreach ("TGA gave 9 awards, why punish indie?").
• Blue Prince devs: Confirmed 100% human-made; grateful but sympathetic.

Broader Impact on Gaming

• Precedent: More awards/Steam may tighten AI disclosure rules.
• Transparency push: Developers now pressured to detail AI use from concept stage.
• Commercial success unaffected: Expedition 33 remains critically acclaimed (Metacritic 92).

Play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at Gzmato