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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just a top GOTY candidate, but also an enormous financial hit. Studio the development team and publisher their publishing partner revealed that this title exceeded 5 million units sold, and that’s despite it being a launch-day addition through the Game Pass service.

The game's performance came as a surprise for the team. I was convinced that we would have a good game that would meet some average commercial success,” a key executive commented.

Another leading developer pointed out this title's review aggregate, rated 93 by critics, was the most surprising moment to the team relative to our early predictions and the actual outcome of the field was. Once it was published everybody in the studio was screaming and jumping. The energy was electric.”

This triumph has led to work on new free content for players featuring fresh areas, enemies, and boss fights, reportedly would be out in the next few months.

However, as the title expands, it's unlikely the team will expand. “We have a great team with a strong creative director possessing strong ideas for this game and also for new ideas. Our goal is to maintain the small-team dynamic that worked for this game and do maybe one big game after another,” the executive noted.

The size of Sandfall drummed up plenty of debate following launch. A few well-known creators, such as the famed director, viewed this studio as a perfect example for a studio. Although the team is and was relatively lean versus large developers, one glance at the game's credits indicates many individuals were involved; the French studio partnered with overseas animators handling movement and effects, to illustrate.

“We will hire a bit more certainly if we have next an upcoming production peak in upcoming years,” they commented. “But I would see essentially a craft studio comprising a handful exceptionally gifted creators that can make artistic collaborations.” They emphasized that Sandfall’s vision as developers “is more to maintain the successful elements that led to this accomplishment from the start.”

While it may be too early for Sandfall to say specifically regarding upcoming titles — rest assured, I tried to get them to — the developers understand their essential identity. “Strategic combat, forms the foundation of our creations,” the lead programmer said. “The timing isn't right to be able to tell what will interest us, but it's important also to stay true to the DNA of studio through compelling worlds and the interesting gameplay that inspires the team.”

The developer mentioned that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 originated from the visionary “work[ing] on his dream game. We aspire that philosophy will be repeated in coming projects.”