Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fan says their merch has been detained by government officials who think it's "possibly" a relic: "Customs opened the package and decided the art book looked a bit too ancient"

A man looking straight ahead during one of the best Xbox Series X games, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — (Image credit: Kepler Interactive)

Of all the wildest video game-related situations you can imagine, this fan's alleged debacle with an official Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 art book has to be the most out there.

If you haven't seen the mind-boggling thread on Reddit yet, user "Ahmed15252" explains how they own The Expeditioner's Journal – a 48-page artbook that players got alongside the special Monolith Set from Sandfall Interactive – and how it was apparently snagged by customs upon entry in Iraq.

Why, though? According to Ahmed, officials assumed the book was actually some sort of ancient relic of sorts.

"This can't be for real," they write. "My expedition journal that comes with the Monolith Set got detained by customs for being 'possibly ancient.'" Ahmed continues, outlining the entire situation from the beginning.

"Customs opened the package and decided the art book looked a bit too ancient. You know... drawings, symbols, vibes." Vibes indeed – and honestly, I can definitely see why The Expeditioner's Journal gives them off.

My expedition journal art book was detained by customs for being "possibly ancient" 🗿 from r/expedition33

It does look a bit… archeological relic-y, if we're honest. Ahmed explains what the "result" of the book's ancient appearance was: "The book has been officially sent to the Iraqi Museum / Technical Committee to confirm that it is in fact a modern video game art book and not a newly discovered lost artifact."

Oof. Could you imagine dropping $120 and then potentially losing an important part of your purchase to something like this?

Thankfully, Ahmed seems to be maintaining a good sense of humor through it all, at least. "10/10 experience will definitely accidentally import history again," they joke, concluding, "My video game art book was detained by customs for being 'possibly ancient.'"

Attached to their post are pictures of both the book in question and the supposed letter they received from the Republic of Iraq's Ministry of Culture – and, yeah, it's certainly something to behold.

Honestly, I'm amazed that this – if it's truly genuine – is happening. Even though I do feel sorry for Ahmed, it's kind of hilarious. Take note, everyone, and be sure to hide your own video game relics should you travel anytime soon.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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