Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek finally caved and played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Seven hours later, he concluded that he liked the game, compared to his earlier comments, which caused controversy among Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans.
In early November 2025, Shroud invited his fans to choose ARC Raiders over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in any price Game of the Year with public vote. He argued that multiplayer titles had long been underrepresented at the awards and suggested that if one were to end up winning the top prize, ARC Raiders would be a worthy choice. “Don't let that Expedition game win game of the year,” he said, urging everyone to “come together” and help ARC Raiders do that instead while adding that “multiplayers are the minority”. The comments sparked a backlash Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans, but also invited to a wider inspection. For example, the fact that multiplayer games have dominated the bestseller lists for years has led some to question how Shroud defines a “minority” audience, while others have criticized it for rejecting Sandfall Interactive's RPG without playing it.
Shroud accuses The Game Awards of being 'rigged'
Shroud's reaction to this year's nominations turned into a scathing accusation after his favorite shooter didn't make the Game of the Year list.
Shroud finally plays Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, finally likes it
In response to some of the backlash his comments received, Shroud later promised that if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won a GOTY award at The Game Awards 2025, he would play it. He followed through on that promise on December 21st during the 12-hour stream he started ARC Raiders but ended up focusing primarily on award-winning RPGs. After playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 around seven hours in, the Twitch star admitted that he liked it — or rather, he liked what he'd seen so far.
Asmongold told Shroud that he would like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 if he gave it a chance
“I dare say Asmongold was right,” Shroud commented near the end of the stream, around 12:25:32. “He said when I play this game after he wins game of the year, I'm going to enjoy it. Following up on that train of thought, the streamer acknowledged that while it may be too early to conclude that he likes the entire package, he was optimistic about his chances of doing so. “The game can't get any worse, it's only going to get better,” he noted. At that point, he was about seven hours into the story, a handful of which he had already fully explored Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's early game locations and assembled a party of three.
Like many others, Shroud enjoys Clair Obscur Combat, despite not usually liking turn-based RPGs
At the very end of the stream, Shroud repeated his previous comments, saying, “The game is great, I like it.” He specifically praised its gameplay and noted that he enjoyed learning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33reflection system. His comments echoed the sentiments of many players who don't usually engage in turn-based RPGs but ended up liking this one; Shroud admitted that he isn't usually a fan of the genre and wasn't sure he would have enjoyed the game as much without its engaging real-time combat component. The Twitch star didn't offer many thoughts on the story, noting that while the pace picked up as the stream wound down, storytelling isn't something he generally looks for in a game.
Dare I say Asmongold was right? If I remember correctly, he said when I play this game after it wins game of the year, I'm going to enjoy it.
Although Shroud did not retract his earlier claim that ARC Raiders deserves a GOTY win Clair Obscur: Expedition 33the fact that he ended up enjoying the latter underscores the broad mainstream appeal that Sandfall Interactive managed to achieve with their debut title. Reflecting on his growing fan base, the French developer recently revealed that he has already started work on his next game soon. In an October 2025 interview, Sandfall CEO and Creative Director Guillaume Broche described the upcoming title as “very unique and artistic”, with the studio not planning to significantly expand staff for the project.
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Older 17+ / Blood and gore, violent language, obscene themes, violence
- Developers
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publishers
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Interactive Kepler
Source: Dexerto
