Following the revocation of its Game of the Year award over AI disclosure issues, Sandfall Interactive has enforced a firm no-AI policy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and all future games. Game director Guillaume Broche confirmed the title is fully human-made, addressing concerns from a brief 2022 AI texture experiment.
In a private session with Twitch streamers and content creators, Sandfall Interactive clarified the AI controversy that led to the Indie Game Awards upholding their disqualification decision, as detailed previously.
Game director Guillaume Broche stated, “Everything in the game is human-made.” The team had experimented with generative AI in 2022 only for a few missing textures, which were immediately removed. Despite this, the awards committee cited inconsistent disclosure—Sandfall's earlier public mentions of AI testing versus the no-AI claim in their submission—as grounds for revocation, per their FAQ policy against any generative AI use.
Moving forward, Broche affirmed a strict no-AI policy for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and all Sandfall projects, emphasizing human creativity. This response highlights escalating tensions in indie development, where AI tools promise efficiency but spark demands for transparency from players and awards bodies. The case may spur industry standards like 'AI-free' labels to build trust.