Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive has promised that in the future everything from the studio will be made by humans and not AI. To say that the use of generative artificial intelligence in video game development is currently a controversial topic would be an understatement. Since its arrival in the mainstream a few years ago, game companies have regularly been called out on suspicion of using AI, and often these accusations turn out to be true. So when they found out Clair Obscuro was released with AI assets, some fans reacted negatively.
Although the amount of AI present in the build release of the widely acclaimed RPG was seemingly small, it still caused resistance among many players. The art was only intended as a placeholder and was quickly fixed, but its very use had consequences Clair Obscuro it was disqualified from the Indie Game Awards and its wins for Best Debut and Game of the Year were stripped. However, the developer seems to have heard the answer loud and clear.
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Developer Clair Obscur will not be using generative AI in the future
Recently, Expedition 33 director Guillaume Broche and art director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe sat down for a Q&A session with YouTube channel Sushi. During the discussion, the topic of using AI was raised. Broche promised that while it's hard to predict what the future might hold for the industry, at least for games since Sandfall, “everything will be made by our people.” He went on to explain that when AI was used in development Expedition 33the technology was still very new and was only considered a useful tool. “We tried it and we didn't like it. It was bad.”
At least for now, like it or not, it looks like AI is here to stay and will likely become even more ubiquitous over time. Recently, another beloved gaming company came under fire for its use of AI when Larian Studios, the developer behind the multi-award winning Baldur's Gate 3admitted during an interview with Bloomberg that he uses the technology to create “PowerPoint presentations, develop concept art, and write placeholder text.” Larian founder Swen Vincke clarified that no generative means of artificial intelligence will enter it Divinityanother studio project, but that only slightly reduced the backlash.
In his interview with Bloomberg, Vincke said that while AI has not significantly improved team efficiency, it could ultimately be detrimental not to use it if it is widely adopted by competitors. Renowned developer Hideo Kojima seems to share the same opinion. He previously stated that while he won't be using AI to create art, he sees its potential in creating deep systems that could dynamically respond to player behavior. In fact, Kojima said he'd like to make a game to train AI because it currently “can't do much.”
While both Sandfall Interactive and Larian Studios are currently dealing with the fallout from the revelations that they used AI in some aspects of their game creation, it's unlikely to have a lasting impact on their success. Excited for what's to come Divinity the game from Larian is incredibly high and Clair Obscuro won a record number of categories at The Game Awards 2025, earning more wins than any other game in the history of the event.
- 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: Bloomberg
