The development team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has received a prestigious honor from the French government: knighthood under the French Order of Arts and Letters. The recognition, announced this week, celebrates the studio’s significant contribution to French art and culture through the critically acclaimed role-playing game.
Sandfall Interactive, the French studio responsible for the game, shared the news via a LinkedIn post featuring photos of the team proudly displaying their newly bestowed medals from the French Ministry of Culture. While the title of “Knight” doesn’t carry the same conventions as its British counterpart – recipients cannot add “Sir” to their names – the Order of Arts and Letters remains a highly esteemed distinction, awarded to only around 200 individuals annually for exceptional cultural impact.
The timing of the honor is particularly noteworthy, coming less than a year after the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The game quickly ascended to critical and commercial success, culminating in a record-breaking nine wins at last year’s Game Awards from a total of thirteen nominations. IGN itself named the game its Game of the Year for , praising its innovative gameplay and compelling narrative.
“From Expeditioners to Knights!” the Sandfall Interactive team wrote in their celebratory post. “We were received yesterday at the Ministry of Culture to celebrate our game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. As such, the members of Sandfall Interactive were awarded the Order of Arts and Letters. This distinction honors us, and our deepest thanks go especially to our team who shaped this world and to the millions of players who have brought it to life. We hope that our journey will inspire all those who wish to take the plunge and create their own work.”
The recognition of an entire game development studio with this honor is exceptionally rare. The French government previously bestowed the Order of Arts and Letters upon game creators in , honoring Michel Ancel (designer of Rayman, Rabbids, and Beyond Good & Evil) alongside Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto and Alone in the Dark creator Frederick Raynal. More recently, in , Nintendo’s veteran Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma received the same distinction.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands out for its unique blend of classic Japanese RPG influences – drawing inspiration from series like Final Fantasy and Persona – with a distinctly European aesthetic and narrative sensibility. Set in a dark fantasy Belle Époque world, the game follows the members of Expedition 33 as they attempt to halt the annual “Gommage,” a mysterious phenomenon that erases individuals based on their age. The game’s turn-based combat system incorporates real-time elements, adding a layer of dynamic challenge for players.
The project’s origins trace back to , when Guillaume Broche, a former Ubisoft employee, began assembling a core team of 30 developers after leaving the company in amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially developed using Unreal Engine 4, the team later transitioned to Unreal Engine 5 to leverage its enhanced rendering capabilities.
IGN’s review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lauded the game as a “modern RPG classic,” highlighting its “brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story.” The game’s success, both critically and commercially – exceeding 5 million copies sold by – has clearly resonated with the French Ministry of Culture, solidifying its place as a significant cultural achievement.
The knighthood awarded to Sandfall Interactive represents a growing recognition of the artistic and cultural value of video games, particularly within France. It signals a shift in perception, acknowledging the medium’s capacity for storytelling, innovation, and its ability to contribute meaningfully to national identity.
