Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sets World Record for Game of the Year Awards, Surpassing Elden Ring

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has acceptable the satellite grounds for astir Game of the Year awards, surpassing FromSoftware's Elden Ring.

Last week, IGN reported that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was erstwhile again sweeping grant nominations, this clip astatine the Game Developers Choice Awards, wherever it's been nominated for each but 1 award, and earlier that aforesaid week, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 perfectly dominated the Annual D.I.C.E. Award Nominations on with Ghost of Yotei.

Even with with the BAFTAs, DICE, GDC Awards and much inactive to go, ResetEra's Angie — who's been keeping an oculus connected each the nominations and wins — reports that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has clocked up a staggering 436 awards, surpassing anterior top-spot-holder, Elden Ring, which has 429. The remainder of the apical 5 is rounded retired by The Last of Us Part II (326 awards), Baldur's Gate 3 (288), and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (281).

Providing astir of their workings and rationale, Angie besides believes Expedition 33 has secured much Players' Choice awards than thing other — The Last of Part II received 115, Elden Ring 97, Baldur's Gate III has 89, portion Sandfall's record-breaking JRPG has 125 — but interestingly, erstwhile Game of the Year wins are calculated by the percent of full awards fixed retired during the merchandise year, Clair Obscur takes the bronze. Though it has scooped 70% of each the awards fixed retired this year, Street Fighter II received 80% backmost successful 2005, and 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time did adjacent amended astatine 87%.

Not each grant years are equal, of people — the fig of awards volition beryllium upon the fig of outlets/organizations publishing a Game of the Year victor (Clair Obscur was IGN's 2025 crippled of the year), and this database includes awards fixed not conscionable by gaming press, but besides newspapers, radios, podcasts, and much — but it's nevertheless a testament to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's impact. Hop connected implicit to ResetEra for the afloat database (thanks, GamesRadar).

It's been an unthinkable clip for Sandfall, which has recovered itself thrust into the mainstream pursuing Clair Obscur's success. Even French president Emmanuel Macron celebrated the crippled for winning Game of the Year. But it's not each affirmative for Sandfall erstwhile it comes to crippled awards, however. Last month, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was stripped of 2 awards from the Indie Game Awards aft its alleged usage of generative AI deed the headlines.

While accepting the Game of the Year grant astatine past month's The Game Awards, Sandfall shadow-dropped caller DLC and Patch 1.5.0, which introduces caller determination Verso's Drafts and immoderate genuinely challenging brag fights.

IGN's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reappraisal returned a 9/10. We said: "Wearing its inspirations connected its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of large RPGs with a superb combat strategy and a gripping, harrowing story." Here's a Handy Guide for Beginners if you're looking to springiness it a try, too.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.