Blue Prince Wins Indie Game Award After Confirming No AI Use

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated major award shows in 2025, including The Game Awards 2025 and the Indie Game Awards 2025. However, the game ultimately lost its Indie Game Award after organizers ruled it ineligible due to the use of AI-generated assets, handing the title to Blue Prince instead.

Why Clair Obscur was disqualified

The Indie Game Awards enforces a strict rule that bans any use of generative AI during development. According to the organizers, this rule applies regardless of how minor or unnoticeable the AI-generated content may be.

While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 initially claimed it did not use AI during development, further review revealed that some assets relied on generative AI. Even though these elements were barely noticeable, they still violated the competition’s eligibility requirements.

As a result, the jury disqualified the game from the final award consideration.

Blue Prince confirmed a no-AI development process

Following the decision, publisher Raw Fury addressed the situation directly. In a public tweet, the company stated that Blue Prince used no generative AI tools at any stage of its development, which kept it fully compliant with Indie Game Awards rules.

That confirmation cleared the way for Blue Prince to receive the award after Clair Obscur’s removal.

What this means for indie game development

The ruling does not question the quality of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Many players and critics still consider it one of the strongest indie releases of the year. However, the decision highlights how firmly some award bodies draw the line on AI usage.

As AI tools become more common for coding, writing, and asset creation, indie developers now face a growing challenge. They must decide whether to use AI for efficiency or avoid it entirely to remain eligible for certain awards.

This case also raises a broader question for the industry: how will players, critics, and award shows treat games that rely partially on AI as these tools become standard?

Via TheGamer