In a historic collective honor, the French Ministry of Culture awarded the Chevalier title in the Order of Arts and Letters to 28 members of Sandfall Interactive on February 6, 2026, recognizing their debut game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—a critical and commercial triumph that swept The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year, and earned praise from President Emmanuel Macron.
The ceremony in Paris, presided over by Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, celebrated the Montpellier-based studio's contributions following the game's April 2025 release. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 blends turn-based RPG mechanics with rhythm-based gameplay in a Belle Époque-inspired world, selling over 5 million copies and securing 13 nominations and nine wins at The Game Awards—the first Game of the Year for a French-developed title.
Established in the 1950s, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres typically honors around 200 individuals yearly for artistic achievements, with prior gaming recipients like Shigeru Miyamoto and Michel Ancel. Macron called the success a 'source of great pride' for France, aligning with governmental efforts to recognize video games as cultural heritage.
Dati highlighted the game's impact: "By its scale, by its impact... your work has established itself as a major moment in the history of French video games," affirming interactive media as an 'essential cultural industry' through its Haussmann-era art direction, narrative depth, and philharmonic-performed music.
The young team (average age 32, many on their first shipped title) responded on LinkedIn: "This distinction honors us... deepest thanks to our team... and to the millions of players." Founders Guillaume Broche, Tom Guillermin, and François Meurisse were among the recipients.
This award builds on the initial announcement post-The Game Awards and underscores France's institutional support for gaming since 2006.
