Anatomy of a Success - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A series of articles where I dissect some of the most resounding successes... or successful failures.
Hey everyone!
I'm kicking off a new bi-weekly series where I'll be diving deep into what makes games/projects either blow up or crash and burn. Why am I doing this? Well, I've always been that annoying person who can't (always) just enjoy something – I need to understand why it works, pick it apart, and analyse its successes/failures. This obsession with figuring things out, plus my love for writing and research, basically forced me to start this series.
Let's talk about Expedition 33 - that game everyone's been obsessing over as a potential GOTY? If you haven't heard about it yet, where have you been? Even Emmanuel Macron praised it! (Side note: can I hide with you?).
I was sold from the moment it appeared at the Xbox Showcase. "Persona but with French Belle Époque vibes" just hit all my buttons - and if you know how much I love Persona, that's saying something. Fast forward to release, and it absolutely crushed it - even though it launched against the Oblivion Remaster, which on paper should have been commercial seppuku.
This got me wondering: beyond the fact that it's obviously a great game, what made Expedition 33 such a runaway success? How did a small studio of 30 people create something competing with massive AAA titles? What marketing magic did they pull to stand their ground against freaking OBLIVION?
I've compiled this analysis with sales data, marketing strategy breakdowns, and some cool behind-the-scenes stories. And heads up: next week, I'll publish my interview with Kepler's Marketing Director, a very good friend from when we worked at Bandai Namco. He shared some fascinating insider details about how they pulled this off.
So grab a drink, settle in, and let's dissect this success story. It's a long one, but I promise it's worth it!
Oh, and please leave me a comment if you have a specific game or industry phenomenon you'd like me to analyse next!
I. Introduction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut title from French independent studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, has emerged as one of 2025's most impressive success stories. Launched in April, this reactive turn-based RPG blends classic JRPG mechanics with modern action elements, all wrapped in a distinctive Belle Époque-inspired dark fantasy world.
This success is noteworthy because it comes from a small studio of around 30 developers, many without prior experience at larger studios. Using Unreal Engine 5, this team has delivered a game whose commercial performance and critical reception rival much larger productions.
This report examines Expedition 33's journey from reveal to launch, analysing the strategic decisions, market positioning, and execution that contributed to its breakout success. While acknowledging the limitations of publicly available data, we've utilised review metrics, community discourse, and available sales figures to evaluate performance and identify key success factors.
II. Background: The Genesis of Expedition 33
Sandfall Interactive was founded in Montpellier, France, in 2020. With a core team of approximately 30 developers-including some former Ubisoft employees but many industry newcomers-the studio aimed to create narrative experiences blending French cultural inspiration with technical innovation through Unreal Engine 5. What began as "Project W," a passion project for CEO and Creative Director Guillaume Broche, evolved into the studio's ambitious debut. Interestingly, the project had an earlier incarnation under the codename "We Lost" with a completely different storyline, as Broche has mentioned in several interviews.
The game's narrative premise is immediately distinctive: in Lumière, a mysterious entity known as The Paintress awakens annually to paint a descending number on a monolith, causing everyone of that age to vanish instantly. With the number reaching 33, players join the titular expedition- a group with just one year left to live- on their desperate mission to destroy the Paintress and end the cycle of death. Combining mortality, grief, and hope, this high-stakes concept became central to the game's identity and marketing.
The Belle Époque-inspired setting (late 19th/early 20th century France) provided a fresh aesthetic rarely seen in fantasy RPGs. This influenced the game's "Clair Obscur" title, referencing the artistic technique using strong contrasts between light and dark-mirroring the game's themes. In an interesting twist of development chronology, the phrase "Clair Obscur" actually appeared in the soundtrack's lyrics before it was selected as the IP's name, essentially becoming canon in the lore before the thematic connection was fully established.
The development team cited diverse inspirations ranging from JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona to action games like Sekiro, alongside literary influences including the French fantasy novel 'La Horde du Contrevent'.
Publisher Kepler Interactive, known for distinctive titles like Sifu and Tchia, partnered with Sandfall in March 2023. Their model provides marketing support and publishing expertise while allowing studios to maintain creative independence, giving Sandfall the backing needed to realise their vision.
III. Marketing Strategy and Execution
A. The Reveal: Setting the Stage
Expedition 33 was unveiled during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024, immediately securing broad visibility. The reveal trailer established the game's identity through effective pacing: it introduced the haunting premise and Belle Époque world, set the mood through visuals and music, and culminated with gameplay footage of the reactive turn-based combat.
Key marketing messages emphasised:
The unique "Paintress" narrative hook and desperate quest
The blend of RPG elements with real-time combat mechanics
The distinctive Belle Époque-inspired setting
High visual fidelity powered by Unreal Engine 5
Deep character customisation systems
Multi-platform availability with Day One Xbox Game Pass launch
The reveal generated immediate and substantial positive reception across gaming communities. Players and media alike highlighted several key elements: the intriguing Paintress premise, the impressive visual fidelity for a smaller studio, favourable comparisons to beloved titles like "Lost Odyssey" and "Final Fantasy," and UI design that evoked Persona's stylish presentation.
An interesting community development occurred when fans recognised Ben Starr's voice in the trailer, creating an immediate connection with the Final Fantasy audience. Initially, the team had intended to have Gustave's voice actor (Charlie Cox) narrate the trailer, but scheduling conflicts with his recording sessions necessitated a quick casting change.
As fate would have it, a Sandfall developer recognised Starr's voice among the demo tapes submitted for the trailer. After securing him for the trailer narration, they later offered him the role of Verso in the full game, a fortunate coincidence that strengthened the Final Fantasy connection.
B. Platform Strategy: Multi-Platform with Game Pass Integration
Expedition 33 launched simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), ensuring broad market access. The strategic decision to launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC provided immediate access to Microsoft's subscriber base, amplifying discovery and visibility.
While specific financial details remain undisclosed, such arrangements typically involve upfront payments and/or performance bonuses from Microsoft, which help mitigate risk while boosting player reach. The game's prominent featuring at Xbox events suggested a strong marketing partnership, while the simultaneous release across all platforms ensured that Xbox-generated buzz translated into broader market impact.
C. Maintaining Momentum: Key Marketing Beats
Following the initial reveal, the marketing team executed a crucial hands-off press tour in European markets, including London, Paris, and Berlin. This tour took an unexpected but beneficial turn when Xbox invited the team to join their Behind Closed Doors presentations at Gamescom. This strategic placement meant that many industry professionals who had come to see Diablo IV were also exposed to Expedition 33, significantly expanding its visibility among influential critics and partners.
The campaign maintained momentum through several calculated content releases:
Developer Diaries and Previews: Sandfall engaged with the community through blog posts and interviews. In early 2025, hands-on previews provided deeper insights into gameplay systems and narrative, reinforcing positive initial impressions.
Voice Cast Reveal (October 2024): The announcement of established talent including Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jennifer English (Baldur's Gate 3), Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI), and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) generated significant interest beyond the core RPG audience. This announcement coincided with the reveal of Bandai Namco as the retail distribution partner, marking a pivotal moment in the campaign when the game's perception shifted from purely independent to a higher-tier production. This transition presented a marketing challenge, as the team was concerned about preserving the game's independent spirit while now being compared to AAA productions. Unexpectedly, the initial controversy centered not on this partnership but on the absence of a French voice option-particularly notable for a French studio. The team quickly pivoted, releasing the playful "trailer baguette" that effectively balanced the AAA perception with indie authenticity despite internal debate about tonal consistency. Meanwhile, the team strategically held back the behind-the-scenes content with the voice cast until later in the campaign.
Release Date Announcement (January 2025): The April 24, 2025, release date was confirmed through two parallel assets: a dedicated documentary-style segment during the Xbox Developer Direct (where the team famously recorded eight takes with different dates before finalising) and a standalone trailer distributed across other platforms. Both introduced new characters and gameplay features to refresh interest.
Character Trailers and Lore: Individual character spotlight videos and lore explorations released leading up to launch provided depth and maintained community engagement. While these weren't considered the campaign's most brilliant elements, they were strategically timed to coincide with smaller showcase events like Future Games Show Spring and Galaxies Twitch, effectively boosting Steam placement and co-streams. The team recognised that the game's growing reputation could leverage even these smaller marketing moments. The authentic connection was further strengthened by having Jennifer English present the Future Games Show, where Maelle's trailer premiered.
Community Engagement: The development team participated directly in Q&A sessions and maintained responsive communication, building goodwill and demonstrating passion. The approach followed classic but practical/effective principles: concise copy, comprehensive response to community interactions, and letting the game's visuals speak for themselves. The community management team excelled during the final campaign phase, with the "Barbenheimer" framing of the Oblivion Remastered situation being recognised as a particular stroke of genius.
Launch Trailer: The final promotional push effectively synthesised the game's appeal, showcasing emotional stakes, visuals, and dynamic combat.
D. Global Distribution Strategy
A critical but often overlooked aspect of Expedition 33's success was its sophisticated approach to global distribution, particularly in markets where Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox Showcase carried less influence:
Localised Marketing Partnerships: Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all global strategy, the team established region-specific marketing partnerships that provided additional promotional resources and cultural relevance.
Asian Market Focus: Kepler leveraged its subsidiary marketing agency, iOi Gamer, to execute specialised marketing for the Chinese market, where Game Pass penetration is significantly lower. This included localised trailers, a hands-off preview event in Shanghai, and comprehensive regional promotion.
Japanese Presence: Through a collaboration with SEGA, the team organised a preview event in Tokyo and secured a cross-interview with renowned developer Hajime Tabata, significantly elevating the game's profile in the critically important Japanese RPG market.
This multi-layered global approach ensured that Expedition 33's success extended well beyond markets where the Xbox ecosystem dominated, contributing significantly to its impressive sales performance across all platforms.
IV. Launch Performance and Sales Analysis
A. Exceptional Initial Sales
Expedition 33 launched on April 24, 2025, immediately demonstrating remarkable commercial performance:
500,000 Copies Sold in 24 Hours: Within just one day, Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive announced over half a million copies sold. Importantly, these figures represented actual paid sales rather than total player count, and explicitly excluded Game Pass players. This distinction is significant as it demonstrates strong purchase intent even with the subscription option available. In their announcement, the development team noted they had reached this milestone "sooner than we'd ever imagined" - a telling indicator that the performance exceeded even internal projections.
1 Million Copies Sold in 3 Days: By April 27, the publisher confirmed sales had surpassed one million copies, explicitly noting this excluded Game Pass players.
2 Million Copies Sold in Less Than 2 Weeks: The remarkable sales velocity continued, with the game surpassing 2 million copies sold before the end of its second week on the market. This sustained momentum demonstrated that the initial success was not merely a launch weekend phenomenon but represented genuine, ongoing market demand.
For context, achieving one million paid sales this quickly is exceptional for any new IP, particularly an AA-scoped RPG from a new studio launching day one on Game Pass. Industry norms often see subscription service availability reducing direct sales, yet Expedition 33 drove remarkable purchase conversion alongside its subscription availability.
B. Strong Platform Performance
Steam metrics provide valuable insight into PC engagement:
High Concurrent Players: The game achieved peak concurrent player counts exceeding 70,000 and reportedly reached nearly 98,600 within days of launch, exceptional figures for a new AA RPG.
Top Seller Status: Expedition 33 ranked #2 on Steam's global best-seller charts at launch (behind only The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered), maintaining a top 3 position thereafter.
Overwhelmingly Positive Reception: Player reviews quickly accumulated to thousands, maintaining a 92-94% positive rating, a clear indicator of strong player satisfaction.
These metrics validate the game's appeal beyond console and Game Pass ecosystems, demonstrating effective PC-specific marketing and technical implementation.
C. The "Barbenheimer" Effect: Launching Against Oblivion Remastered
A noteworthy aspect of Expedition 33's launch context was the unexpected release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered just two days earlier. With both titles being substantial RPGs arriving simultaneously on Game Pass, industry analysts and community discussions speculated about potential negative impacts on Expedition 33's visibility and commercial performance.
Publisher Kepler Interactive chose an interesting approach to this situation, embracing it with strategic humour. They explicitly drew parallels to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon of 2023, where two contrasting films (Barbie and Oppenheimer) launched concurrently to remarkable success rather than cannibalising each other's audience. This framing not only defused concerns but created additional conversation around both titles. As subsequent data would demonstrate, the comparison proved remarkably accurate.
Several factors likely contributed to both games thriving simultaneously:
Their distinct appeal (turn-based JRPG-inspired vs. open-world Western RPG)
Game Pass allows subscribers easy access to both titles
The high visibility of both releases has created broader interest in RPGs generally
A collegial rather than competitive framing from both publishers
The situation ultimately highlighted the robust health of the RPG market and demonstrated that high-quality titles with distinct identities can succeed concurrently, even within subscription services.
V. Critical and Community Reception
A. Universal Critical Acclaim
Professional reviews for Expedition 33 demonstrated exceptional consensus in their praise, immediately establishing the game among the highest-rated releases of 2025:
Exceptional Aggregate Scores: The game secured impressive ratings across major review aggregators - a 92 average on Metacritic across platforms and a 91 on OpenCritic, with 97% of critics recommending the title. For context, these scores placed Expedition 33 at the top tier of 2025 releases, competing with or surpassing titles from established AAA studios with significantly larger resources. Such unified critical acclaim is particularly noteworthy for a debut title from a previously unknown development team.
Consistent High Scores: Individual outlet ratings reflected this consensus, with numerous publications awarding scores of 9/10, 9.5/10, 10/10, or equivalent ratings.
Key Strengths Identified: Reviews consistently highlighted several standout elements:
Narrative and Themes: The emotional depth, compelling storyline, and mature handling of themes like loss and mortality
Combat System: The "reactive turn-based" mechanics are described variously as innovative, engaging, deep, rewarding, and thrilling
Art Direction and Visuals: The unique Belle Époque-fantasy aesthetic powered by Unreal Engine 5
Music and Sound Design: The soundtrack by Lorien Testard, frequently singled out as exceptional and emotionally resonant
Minor Criticisms: Some reviews noted areas for improvement, including linear exploration, occasional quality-of-life issues in the interface, and the demanding nature of the parry/dodge system potentially becoming tedious for some players.
The overwhelmingly positive critical reception was a powerful validation and likely drove significant word-of-mouth and purchasing decisions.
B. Community Sentiment
Player communities across platforms like Reddit, Steam, and GameFAQs largely echoed professional critics' enthusiasm, though with more nuanced discussions:
Widespread Satisfaction: Most community discussions reflected high satisfaction levels and emotional investment in the game's story, visuals, music, and combat.
The JRPG Discourse: A significant theme in community discussions was the game's relationship to the JRPG genre. Many praised it as a welcome return to form for turn-based combat, particularly against the backdrop of franchises like Final Fantasy moving toward action systems. Interestingly, the game was often positioned as appealing even to players who typically don't enjoy JRPGs, suggesting successful crossover appeal.
Combat and Difficulty Debates: While the combat system received substantial praise for its engagement and depth, community discussions revealed more diverse opinions about the difficulty of mastering parrying and dodging mechanics, particularly over longer play sessions.
Narrative Engagement: The significant plot developments and multiple endings generated substantial analysis and debate within communities, indicating deep player investment in the story and themes.
These community discussions and overwhelmingly positive user review scores confirmed that critical praise translated effectively to player experiences.
VI. Strategic Analysis and Success Factors
Expedition 33's launch success can be attributed to several interconnected factors:
A. Strong Fundamentals
Compelling Concept: The Paintress’ premise and mortality themes offered an immediately gripping hook with emotional resonance
Distinctive Setting: The Belle Époque-inspired world differentiated the game visually and thematically from typical fantasy RPGs
Combat Innovation: The "reactive turn-based" system successfully bridged traditional JRPG mechanics with modern action elements
Production Quality: High visual fidelity, strong voice acting, and exceptional music established a premium feel despite AA scope
B. Strategic Marketing and Positioning
Platform Partnership: The Xbox Games Showcase reveal and Game Pass day-one launch maximised visibility in Western markets
Global Distribution: Regional marketing partnerships and dedicated strategies for Asian markets ensured success beyond Game Pass territories
Timing: The structured rollout of announcements maintained momentum and interest
Voice Cast Leverage: The announcement of established talent added prestige and broadened appeal
Price Point: The ~$50 pricing positioned the game as a premium AA offering with strong value proposition
Competitive Positioning: Embracing rather than fearing the Oblivion Remastered proximity through the "Barbenheimer" framing
C. Developer Authenticity
Community Engagement: Responsive communication and developer presence built goodwill
Clear Vision: The consistent artistic direction and thematic focus demonstrated creative confidence
Passion Signalling: The team's evident enthusiasm for their project resonated with audiences
Combining these elements created a potent formula for success: a distinctive, high-quality game revealed strategically, positioned thoughtfully, and communicated authentically. Rather than competing directly with AAA titles on scope or marketing budget, Expedition 33 carved out its identity in the market through focused excellence.
VII. Conclusion: Lessons from Expedition 33's Success
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's launch represents a significant success story in the contemporary gaming landscape. Its journey offers valuable insights for developers and publishers navigating an increasingly complex market.
Key Takeaways
Quality Over Scale: Expedition 33 demonstrates that focused excellence in a smaller-scope project can compete with much larger productions. By leveraging technology like Unreal Engine 5, smaller teams can achieve visual quality that previously required much larger teams.
Distinctive Identity Matters: In a crowded market, the game's unique Belle Époque setting and high-concept Paintress narrative created immediate differentiation that cut through the noise.
Subscription Services as Opportunity: Rather than cannibalising sales, Game Pass integration appears to have amplified visibility while maintaining strong direct purchase conversion, especially when supplemented with region-specific strategies for markets with lower Game Pass penetration.
Strategic Platform Partnerships: The close association with Xbox for marketing, while maintaining multi-platform release, maximised visibility and market reach.
Authenticity Resonates: The development team's clear passion and direct community engagement fostered goodwill that translated to advocacy.
Broader Implications
For Sandfall Interactive, the game's success establishes the studio as a significant talent in the industry, positioning it strongly for future projects and potential investment.
For the AA/JRPG Market: Expedition 33's triumph signals robust demand for polished, turn-based RPGs with distinctive aesthetics and innovative mechanics, potentially encouraging more investment in ambitious AA projects.
For the Industry: The success challenges conventional wisdom about what's required for breakout hits in today's market. It demonstrates viable paths to success outside the binary of indie and AAA development, suggesting a healthy space for focused AA productions that emphasise quality and uniqueness over sheer scale.
In an industry often fixated on massive AAA productions or small indie experiences, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 illuminates a compelling middle path: a focused, passion-driven project executed with technical excellence and marketed with strategic intelligence. Its success story offers encouraging evidence that players continue to seek and support unique, high-quality experiences regardless of studio size or marketing budget.
Before wrapping up, I’ll leave you with my favourite song from the game…
Thanks for reading !