Developer Sandfall’s RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was one of 2025’s breakout hits, and with a budget of reportedly less than $10 million, a relatively small development staff, and a price point below $70, some have said the game could be representative of a “AA”-style project that can break through. It may have worked for Expedition 33, and it could work for other titles, but Hazelight boss Josef Fares wants to see the AAA space continue and hopes that decision-makers in gaming don’t go all-in on smaller-scale games with lower budgets.
“You do hear, after the success of things like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, that the AA games are taking over. But I would not be able to live without a AAA title,” he told The Game Business. “I really want to play the blockbuster games. You can’t do GTA for $10 million. We need both.”
Fares went on to say that “it’s important not to get stuck in ideas.” People should not allow themselves to be convinced that “AA is a new thing” or “indie is a new thing,” he said.
