Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the underdog turn-based RPG set in Belle Epoque France, has passed a poetic milestone, selling 3.3 million units after 33 days.
The team behind the title shared the serendipitous news in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Thirty-three days ago, we released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Since then, we’ve sold 3.3 million copies. Seriously. As of today. We couldn’t make that up. Another entry on the long list of surreal moments that your support has made real. Thank you ALL,” the post reads before closing with, “Tomorrow comes,” a short-but-sweet statement of perseverance commonly used in the adventure game. As if that weren’t enough, the touching post was shared at 3:03 p.m.
The news likely has creatives at Kepler and Sandfall feeling more “whee” than “whoo,” their celebrations likely amplified by the game’s continued commercial and critical success.
Despite an intimate team, modest budget, and surprisingly low sticker price — the game retails for just $49.99 — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has rocked the cultural zeitgeist. Data from Google Trends shows the game’s release fueled a stateside uptick in French culture-related searches, including language-learning opportunities and even French obscenities.
Amid post-tariff tech price hikes and AAA studios’ continued remaster announcements, the AA game’s widespread popularity is a statement on consumer interest in original IPs and more affordable projects. The public failures of more ostentatious titles (ahem, Concord) have pushed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 publisher Kepler Interactive away from the pursuit of endless growth.
In a new GamesIndustry interview, Kepler Interactive portfolio director Matthew Handrahan spoke on AAA releases’ ever-increasing prices. “I think as that AAA price goes up, I think it creates more of an opportunity to be launching games – more sensibly scoped games – [and] pricing them at that $40–50 range,” says Handrahan. “And I don’t think anyone that played Expedition 33 would think they didn’t get their money’s worth out of that.”
In the interview, Handrahan says Kepler now plans to focus on being a hub for “high-quality, mid-sized games with a unique vision.”
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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