Despite Runaway Success, Clair Obscur Developers Aim to Maintain Studio Lean

The game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not only an impressive Game of the Year contender, but also an enormous commercial success. Studio Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive disclosed that the game topped five million copies sold, this is even with it being a launch-day addition on Xbox Game Pass.

This achievement came as an unexpected turn to Sandfall. I firmly believed that we'd create an enjoyable experience that would meet some average sales results,” a senior team member explained.

Another leading developer noted that Clair Obscur’s Metacritic rating, now standing at 93, came as perhaps “maybe the biggest shock for everyone relative to our early predictions and the final result of the field was. When the score released the entire team were cheering loudly. The energy was electric.”

That success has led to the studio creating a complimentary expansion for the title with a new environment, enemies, and boss fights, as announced will release sometime soon.

That said, despite the game's evolution, it's unlikely the studio to grow. We've built a great team with a strong creative director who has a great vision for this game plus upcoming innovations. Our goal is to maintain the small-team dynamic that made this possible and perhaps create large projects one by one,” they said.

The studio's scale sparked significant conversation when the game came out. A few well-known creators, like Hideo Kojima, considered Sandfall’s team as the model for creative teams. Despite being truly compact next to major studios, a quick look at the game's credits shows that numerous contributors participated; Sandfall contracted a Korean team handling movement and effects, to illustrate.

“Some hiring will occur slightly more certainly when facing an increase in development down the line,” the executive said. “Yet I picture more of a workshop of a few highly skilled individuals capable of producing artistic collaborations.” They emphasized that Sandfall’s vision as a company “focuses on preserving the successful elements that made this achievement possible originally.”

Although it's premature for the studio to disclose concrete plans regarding upcoming titles — and trust me, efforts were made — the team does know their essential identity. “The turn-based aspect, forms the foundation of our creations,” the lead programmer explained. “The timing isn't right to announce our next interests, but it's important also to remain faithful to the DNA of studio featuring rich storytelling plus innovative play that drives our passion.”

The developer added that the project originated from the visionary pursuing his ideal project. It is hoped this approach we can continue as well for future productions.”