In a surprising turn of events, the organizers of The Indie Game Awards have officially stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its recent wins. The game, developed by Sandfall Interactive, had originally taken home the top honors for Game of the Year and Debut Game during the ceremony on December 18. However, the awards were revoked after it was confirmed that generative AI was used during the development of the title. The organizers stated that the show maintains a strict “no generative AI” policy for all nominees to ensure the awards celebrate human creativity.

Breach of Nomination Agreement

The disqualification came after the discovery that Sandfall Interactive had previously agreed that no generative AI was used when submitting the game for consideration. According to Six One Indie, the creators of the show, the studio confirmed the use of AI on the same day as the award premiere. Because this violated the terms of the nomination process, the committee decided to remove the game from the record. This decision has sparked a significant debate in the gaming community about the role of AI tools in modern game development and how they should be handled in professional ceremonies.

New Winners Announced for 2025

With the disqualification of Clair Obscur, the awards have now been passed to the runner-up titles. The award for Game of the Year has been officially given to Blue Prince, while the title for Debut Game now goes to Sorry We’re Closed. The organizers thanked the community for their feedback and patience while they handled this sensitive situation. They remain committed to their stance against generative AI and look forward to continuing the tradition of celebrating independent developers in the 2026 ceremony.