By Maggie Scarr
Xbox shared some big news today. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become the biggest new third party launch on Xbox Game Pass in 2025. Xbox says this is based on unique users who jumped in during the first 30 days. It fits the buzz the game has built across awards shows and fan reaction heading into The Game Awards 2025.
For the developer, Sandfall, this is a huge milestone. Sandfall’s creative director Guillaume Broche said this year has gone far beyond anything the team expected, especially as a first-time studio. He credited Xbox for backing the game early, from announcing it in Summer 2024 to spotlighting it again during Developer_Direct, which helped get the word out.
Xbox Wanted This Game to Succeed
ID@Xbox director Guy Richards said Expedition 33 stood out because of its ambition and identity. The mix of turn-based RPG structure, French cultural influence, and strong characters felt exciting and new. Once they played early builds, they were confident it was something Game Pass users would want to discover.
Broche credited Game Pass for helping the game reach people who would never normally pick up a turn-based RPG. Because it was included in the subscription, curious action-focused gamers could try it without committing money. That led to a much wider audience than they expected.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has now gone from promising new RPG to one of the most talked about stories on Xbox this year. It shows how Game Pass can help a new studio find an audience when a game offers something different. Sandfall says it is grateful for the support, while Xbox says it plans to continue backing games like this across console, PC, and cloud.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 started as a first outing for a new studio and now heads into The Game Awards with several nominations. It is neat to see how far a game can go when it connects with people.