Summary

  • French studio Sandfall Interactive earned recognition from President Emmanuel Macron for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 commercial success.
  • It immediately sold 1 million copies within three days after its April release and was praised by critics and peers.
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 presents a unique premise to RPG players and great combat mechanics.

The April 2025 released RPG title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has been garnering interest from the gaming community. It was instantly loved and praised by gamers for its compelling storyline and combat mechanics. Now, even, French President Macron publicly praised Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

President Macron Praises Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Video games are indeed significantly growing in the current time and French President Emmanuel Macron was among the ones to recognize it. He publicly congratulated Sandfall Interactive for their breakout RPG hit “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.” Macron even posted on Instagram his praises for the stellar game that shines quickly after debut.

He proudly shared it is the French that created one of the best-rated games in history and has been selling a million copies. Macron further congratulates the studio and all the creators for being a great example of French audacity and creativity. He was proud of the achievements the game earned from the community.

Certainly, Macron’s recognition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has made an impact on the French video game industry. It is rare for heads of state to celebrate such gaming accomplishments. That is why many are praising Macron for displaying awareness and support toward creative industries. 

The Three Days Tale of Success

There was no doubt to it that this game would be successful given the exemplary storyline it promised. The game launched on several platforms such as PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It sold 500,000 copies within the first 24 hours. Eventually, the numbers doubled and hit 1 million in just three days. 

Definitely, the game has rapidly gained popularity across all Major platforms. On Steam alone, it already has a peak of over 120,000 concurrent players. Meanwhile, the physical copies were quickly sold out in several stores after five days. The numbers have exceeded the developers’ expectations.

Now, Sandfall Interactive is trying hard to work on restocking and meet the unexpectedly high demand for the game. Beyond this, there were already signs of success from the beginning before the initial game launch. In January 2025, they released a Collector’s Edition that instantly sold out in just one week. This interest continued until the game’s release and even achieved high game scores across critics. 

A Debut Success Story for Sandfall Interactive

Many gamers, especially critics, have shared praises for Sandfall Interactive following their impressive debut title. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was their first project as a studio as revealed at Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024. Upon introduction, it initially gathered excitement for its unique blend of turn-based mechanics and distinctive artistic visual style.

There were also industry peers that complimented their game like Baldur’s Gate 3 director Michael Douse. The recognition from peers, President Macron, greatly established Sandfall Interactive’s position in the RPG genre. 

The Game Behind the Hype

With all this hype, what is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 all about? It is a turn-based RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world with a unique premise. Each year, the world sends a crew of Expeditioners to defeat a giant called The Paintress. 

This giant fetches a new number and erases anyone older than it. However, none returns successfully and has taken down The Paintress. Players then are to join as a crew member of Expedition 33, leading the team towards destroying the Paintress.  

With this premise, many were intrigued and curious about what new gameplay experience could possibly bring to the table. Moreover, the game was developed using Unreal Engine 5 and published by Kepler Interactive. It features mature themes and is rated as Mature 17+ for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence, and Suggestive Themes. 

Conclusion

Few would have imagined seeing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Macron in a sentence together. But it is real as French President Macron showered the game with praises for presenting French creativity in the gaming world. Sandfall Interactive definitely deserved that recognition given how polished and excellent their debut title is.