According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, the RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from developer Sandfall Interactive had its two 2024 Indie Game Awards wins for Game of the Year and Best Debut Game quietly revoked. The organizers pulled the awards following concerns over alleged generative AI use in the game’s development, though no detailed explanation was given at the time. In a new Q&A hosted by publisher Kepler Interactive, game director Guillaume Broche directly addressed the controversy, stating that “everything in the game is human-made.” Broche acknowledged the studio briefly experimented with AI tools back in 2022, using AI-generated textures only as temporary placeholders before they were replaced with proper, human-created assets. The retroactive removal of the awards sparked significant backlash and reignited industry-wide debates about AI transparency.
The AI Experiment That Fizzled
Here’s the thing about Broche’s explanation: it’s both totally plausible and a perfect snapshot of the industry’s awkward, messy transition phase with this tech. He says they tried AI in 2022, didn’t like it, and dropped it. That timeline checks out—that’s when tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion were exploding into public consciousness, and every studio was at least curious. The use of AI textures as “placeholders” is a classic, low-stakes experiment. But it also highlights the core of the problem: even temporary, discarded use can now taint perception. The studio’s current stance—that they have no plans to revisit AI—feels like a necessary brand statement. In a market where “handcrafted” is becoming a premium selling point, can you blame them?
The Real Damage Is to Trust
So, the awards are gone, and the developer has given their side of the story. But the bigger issue here is the process. The Indie Game Awards committee revoked the wins based on “concerns,” but didn’t publicly detail their findings or standards. That lack of transparency is what fuels the online speculation machine. It puts the accused developer in a nearly impossible position: how do you prove a negative? How do you definitively prove something *wasn’t* used in a pipeline, especially when early prototypes are often messy and discarded? This creates a chilling effect where any studio that ever dabbled, even responsibly, might fear this kind of backlash. The industry desperately needs clearer, public guidelines on what constitutes unacceptable AI use, because right now, it’s trial by social media rumor.
A Handcrafted Future?
Broche’s firm “it felt wrong” comment is more powerful than any technical denial. It’s an ethical and creative stance. And it’s becoming a major differentiator. While larger studios are increasingly adopting AI tools for efficiency, a segment of players is actively seeking out games that proudly reject them. Clair Obscur is now, ironically, more famous for this controversy than for its actual awards. Its identity is now partially built on being “the human-made RPG.” The question is, will this stance hold? As AI tools become more embedded in standard software like Photoshop or Unreal Engine, will the line between “used” and “not used” become so blurred that this distinction becomes meaningless? For now, Sandfall is drawing a very clear line in the sand. They’re betting that players will care enough for it to matter.
