Part of the Sandfall Interactive team at the Game Awards in Los Angeles on December 11, 2025. MICHAEL TRAN / AFP
It was hard to miss the Sandfall Interactive team on the red carpet at the Game Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 11. The roughly 20 developers in attendance had opted for a matching outfit: marinières, red berets for some, and even checkered tablecloths slung over their shoulders. It was a deliberate nod to a costume from their game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. "It was supposed to be a joke," said Guillaume Broche, CEO and creative director of the French studio, as he accepted the highly coveted video game of the year trophy.
Subscribers only
'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33': The revival of the 'French touch' in video games
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a role-playing game with a demanding combat mechanic, set in a Belle Époque-inspired world. It is also the studio's first production. "We didn't know how to make a game before," said Broche, visibly moved. In 12 editions, a debut creation had never before been honored at the Game Awards. It was both a first attempt and a masterstroke. The video game, created by the Montpellier-based team, received 12 nominations – a record in itself – and ultimately won nine trophies. This surpassed the seven awards won by The Last of Us Part II in 2020.
