Clair Obscur doesn’t want to change its essence: this is how Sandfall faces the continuation of the GOTY

Sandfall Interactive wants to maintain its creative vision after the huge success of Expedition 33.

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The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at The Game Awards 2025 has put Sandfall Interactive in the spotlight. Becoming Game of the Year not only means a historic recognition for a debut studio, but also evident pressure for what’s to come.

Aware of this expectation, the team itself makes it clear that they have no intention of changing their way of working to please everyone. The priority remains the same as during the development of their first game: creating something they truly believe in, even now that the bar is higher than ever.

Sandfall aims to preserve creative identity after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

In an interview with Edge Magazine, lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen explained that the studio is fully aware that players now have well-defined expectations, but that shouldn’t condition the creative direction. In her own words, the team’s “north star” has always been their personal taste and what they themselves would want to play.

Svedberg-Yen points out that she’s seen too many franchises lose their essence trying to cater to an overly broad audience, and that’s precisely the mistake they want to avoid. So, the idea is to trust the studio’s instincts and the vision that led them to success, even if that means taking risks in the next project.

From the studio’s direction, François Meurisse confirms that there are already clear ideas for the next project, but in no hurry. After a debut that came almost “out of nowhere” and ended up sweeping awards (also driven by its release on Xbox Game Pass), Sandfall prefers to take the necessary time before returning to the scene. Whenever that may be, everything suggests that the team’s next step will be closely watched by the entire industry.