'From Expeditioners to Knights!' — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developer Receives French Cultural Honor

The improvement squad down Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 person been fixed the presumption of Knight nether the French Order of Arts and Letters, successful designation of their important publication to the country's creation and culture.

French workplace Sandfall Interactive revealed the quality this week via a station connected LinkedIn, which included photos of the arrogant squad wearing medals bestowed upon them by the French Ministry of Culture.

While somewhat akin to a British knighthood, the French Order of Arts and Letters does not let holders to adhd a "Sir" to their names. Still, it is prestigious signifier of designation awarded to conscionable 200 radical worldwide each year, for their enactment creating thing of outstanding taste significance.

Sandfall Interactive's squad wearing their medals. Image credit: Sandfall Interactive/LinkedIn.

Since the motorboat of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 successful April 2025, the crippled has received cosmopolitan acclaim from fans and critics alike. It won a grounds 9 of the (also record) 13 nominations it received astatine past year's Game Awards. Here connected IGN, meanwhile, we crowned it arsenic our Game of 2025.

"From Expeditioners to Knights!" the squad wrote successful solemnisation of their latest prize. "We were received yesterday astatine the Ministry of Culture to observe our game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. As such, the members of Sandfall Interactive were awarded the Order of Arts and Letters.

"This favoritism honors us, and our deepest acknowledgment spell particularly to our squad who shaped this satellite and to the millions of players who person brought it to life. We anticipation that our travel volition animate each those who privation to instrumentality the plunge and make their ain work."

Recognition by the French Ministry of Culture for enactment successful the tract of video games is rare, and for an full workplace of radical to beryllium recognized is wholly unique.

The grant of Knight presumption was archetypal bestowed upon a crippled creator backmost successful 2006, erstwhile Rayman, Rabbids and Beyond Good & Evil decorator Michel Ancel received the grant alongside Nintendo fable Shigeru Miyamoto and Alone successful the Dark creator Frederick Raynal. Nintendo's seasoned Zelda shaper Eiji Aonuma was likewise honored successful 2023, meanwhile.

"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," IGN wrote successful our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, dubbing it a "modern RPG classic."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social