Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive, has secured eight nominations at the 26th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), including Game of the Year. Announced on January 17, 2026, and voted by industry peers, the nods continue the game's awards dominance after nine wins at The Game Awards—surpassing Baldur’s Gate 3's record—and seven at the Golden Joystick Awards. The ceremony is set for March 12 during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated nominations for the peer-voted Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), earning eight nods across Best Audio, Best Debut, Best Design, Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Best Technology, Best Visual Art, and Game of the Year—the only major categories missed were Social Impact. It leads ahead of Ghost of Yōtei (five nominations) and Blue Prince and Donkey Kong Bananza (four each).
In Game of the Year, it competes against Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury), Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo), Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry), and Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts). Other contenders include Absolum, BALL X PIT, and Hades II. For Best Narrative, it faces Despelote, Dispatch, Ghost of Yōtei, and Split Fiction; Best Visual Art pits it against Absolum, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hades II, and Keeper.
The game's hybrid combat system blends turn-based strategy with real-time parry mechanics, earning praise in a PC Gamer review as something 'they had never quite played before,' though the elements can occasionally feel disjointed. Standout characters benefit from strong voice acting and motion capture, including Charlie Cox (Daredevil) who was nominated at The Game Awards and credited performer Maxence Cazorla.
This peer recognition builds on prior successes amid debate over its indie status—no Independent Games Festival nominations despite acclaim. Sandfall Interactive's director called the reception 'completely unexpected... one hundred times what we were expecting.' The studio faces heightened expectations but plans to stay true to its instincts. France's President Emmanuel Macron hailed it as a source of national pride for Montpellier.
Momentum continues with upcoming DICE Awards, IGF Awards (March 11), GDC Awards, and BAFTA Games Awards, positioning Expedition 33 as a benchmark for innovative RPGs in design, storytelling, and production.
