Unless you lived under a rock, you’d know that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was easily 2025’s most acclaimed game of the year–and not just because it took home the Game of the Year trophy (alongside being named GameSpot’s GOTY). Despite the massive popularity and success of the JRPG, developer Sandfall Interactive was surprised by the reception the game received, going as far as saying the team “underestimated” just how much Clair Obscur’s side content would resonate with audiences.
Speaking to Edge Magazine for its February 2026 issue (via GamesRadar), lead game designer Michel Nohra explained that the optional objectives in the game–the additional bosses, minigames, side quests, and more–were far more popular than the team initially thought.
“Often, people don’t want to finish the game, so they do all the side content before finishing it, because once the story is over, you’re usually less motivated to do the side content,” Nohra said. “And that’s something I underestimated, which made people [who] wanted a challenging end boss fight feel a bit disappointed. I don’t regret doing it the way we did it, but [we could have] had more explanation about your choice [in Act 3].”
