As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 surpasses Baldur's Gate 3 on Game Award nominations, Larian publishing lead says it's "intensely hopeful" to see a new IP from a fledgling team do so well

Baldur's Gate 3 publishing lead Michael Douse is celebrating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success in The Game Awards' nominations.

Surprising no one, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the frontrunner at The Game Awards this year, but what is somewhat surprising is that it's now officially the number-one most nominated game in The Game Awards history with 12 nominations (previously held by The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War Ragnarok with 11 each). And given that level of success, it'll be a real shocker if it doesn't take home the big award. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has Game of the Year momentum we haven't really seen since Baldur's Gate 3.

Larian Studios publishing lead Michael Douse celebrated the awards success on Twitter, saying, "There is something intensely hopeful about a new IP, from a fledgling team, in a 'dead genre' not only beating the most optimistic sales potential but earning the most nominations in TGA history." He called its success "A message that says you don't have to be in the conversation to become the conversation."

This also included a message to potential developers that making the game you want to make is what's most important, saying, "Don't worry about the zeitgeist, just make your thing and worry about the starlight later."

The CRPG genre wasn't exactly a mainstream one before Baldur's Gate 3, last year's big breakout was a poker-based deckbuilder, so it's hard to predict what the next big hit will be. Although, I'd argue that the turn-based RPG genre has been a hot one over the last decade or so, just never the one to take home the big awards.

Sandfall says Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning GOTY "isn't something we aim for," and even though it would be a "nice little bonus," it's rooting for Megabonk.