Following its recent tally of 291 Game of the Year wins that secured third place all-time, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has now surpassed The Last of Us Part II (326 wins) for second place per a January 11, 2026, update from a gaming awards tracker. Elden Ring holds first with 435. The milestone has sparked heated community debates on game legacies and award legitimacy.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has climbed higher in the all-time Game of the Year awards rankings, overtaking The Last of Us Part II for second place, according to an update published January 11, 2026, on a gaming awards tracking site. Building on its previously reported 291 wins from 2025—which displaced Baldur's Gate 3—the RPG from Sandfall Interactive now exceeds TLOU2's 326, while FromSoftware's Elden Ring remains dominant at 435.
The shift has fueled vibrant online discussions on Twitter and Reddit. Dexerto's post elicited cheers for Clair Obscur alongside defenses of Elden Ring, like MaDZaAc's 'Will never take my goat Elden ring off the throne.' Critics of TLOU2 resurfaced, with ReroJoestar calling it 'garbage,' and CrytoSpo alleging its 2020 wins were 'rigged' amid competition from titles like Doom Eternal.
Others contextualized the rise: Hwang Seong noted 2020's stronger field versus 2025's, while Juventino dismissed Clair Obscur as 'just another JRPG.' Lingering controversy over the developers' early AI use persists. These reactions highlight how GOTY awards capture snapshot critic consensus, often clashing with fan views and evolving legacies.
