Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was 2025’s overall Game of the Year, but recent controversy about its use of AI have stripped it of one of its awards.
The developers have confirmed that some generative AI was used in its development and as a result the Indie Game Awards have taken away its Indie Game of the Year award and awarded it to Blue Prince instead.
Blue Prince is a puzzle-game that took the indie scene by storm this year and I’m sure many would argue that it deserved more recognition when award season rolled around.
Following the backlash against Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince was given the coveted title of Indie Game of the Year, and the game’s publisher has responded.
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Raw Fury Games provided the following statement: "For people that need confirmation: There is no AI used in Blue Prince, the game was built and crafted with full human instinct by Tonda Ros [Dogubomb] & his team. It is the result of eight years of development, fueled by imagination and creativity, and we are extremely proud of what Tonda has achieved."
While the circumstances could have been better it’s nice to see the game get the credit it deserved and if you’re interested in giving it a go you can find it on Xbox Game Pass. It’s available for purchase on other platforms as well.
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An AI Crisis
AI has been a huge talking point this month with so many game studios coming out with their own takes on AI and its place in the gaming industry.
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Obviously Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is being dragged through the mud for its AI use despite it only using a small amount for placeholders during development.
Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has also been slated though, as earlier this month it was confirmed that AI was being used in the planning of the next Divinity game. Larian Studios has responded since saying no AI has been used for the actual game and that every element of it will be created with human hands, even confirming a sort of FAQ in the New Year to discuss things further.
It’s a divisive one because one camp argues that AI is a plague and shouldn’t touch any aspect of game development, whereas others acknowledge the usefulness of AI tools and how effective they can be at speeding up the development process.
Should Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have more awards taken away for its AI use?
Topics: The Game Awards, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Indie Games