Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs receive rare honor from French Ministry of Culture, previously won by Shigeru Miyamoto and the creator of Rayman

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Sandfall's historic run continues

Two characters standing on a glowing battlefield during Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

After sweeping The Game Awards and capturing our hearts wholesale, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's plaudits continue still. Studio Sandfall Interactive has now received an award from the government of France for creating a milestone in the country's game development scene.

"We were received yesterday at the Ministry of Culture to celebrate our game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33," Sandfall Interactive says in a LinkedIn post, as spotted by VideoGamer. "As such, the members of Sandfall Interactive were awarded the Order of Arts and Letters. This distinction honors us, and our deepest thanks go especially to our team who shaped this world and to the millions of players who have brought it to life."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Thank You Update Trailer - YouTube Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Thank You Update Trailer - YouTube
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That said, Clair Obscur's success didn't go un-noticed within the French political sphere. President Emmanuel Macron called the JRPG-inspired game a "great price" for the team's home city of Montpellier, and the country as a whole, while congratulating them on being the first Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards to be from France.

Rachida Dati, the Minister of Culture in France, noted Sandfall's achievement on Twitter, saying the country affirms what games bring to it culturally. Now the studio joins legends such as Nintendo icon Shigeru Miyamoto, Rayman creator Michel Ancel, and Frédérick Raynal, who made the original Alone in the Dark, as recipients of the Order of Arts and Letters, placing them in extremely strong company.

After Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was snubbed at the Grammys, legendary Journey composer Austin Wintory dedicates his win to Sandfall's "once-in-a-generation-level rarity"

Anthony McGlynn
Anthony McGlynn
Contributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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