Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Record-Breaking Awards Run Hits a Wall at Famitsu Awards

Earlier this year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had a remarkable awards-season run. The title secured more than 436 Game of the Year awards from outlets and industry organizations worldwide. That helped the game to surpass the previous record of 435 wins by Elden Ring. However, the awards story looks very different in Japan, especially for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 misses out on securing any awards in Japan

Japan’s popular gaming outlet Famitsu recently announced the winners of its Famitsu & Dengeki Game Awards 2025, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 failed to win a single category (via TheGamer). Although the game was nominated in two categories, including the RPG category and the Rookie Division, it lost both. The RPG award went to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, while The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy won the Rookie Division.

The title also appeared in Famitsu’s Top 20 games of 2025, where it placed 14th overall based on votes from the Japanese public. It ranked behind games like Monster Hunter Wilds, Kirby Air Riders, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.

Interestingly, the game had earlier topped Famitsu’s “Super Popular Game of the Year” poll among 191 Japanese developers and celebrities, with praise coming from developers including Naoki Hamaguchi. However, it seems that the early momentum didn’t help the game to secure official awards.

The RPG developed by Sandfall Interactive had two Indie Game Awards wins quietly revoked, following concerns over alleged generative AI use. At the time, the game director Guillaume Broche addressed the controversy directly, pushing back against claims that AI played a role in the final game, saying, “Everything in the game is human-made.”

The biggest winner was Silent Hill f, which took home three awards, including Game of the Year, Best Developer/Studio, and Best Actor. Overall, the results point out how regional tastes can differ, even for a game that has dominated the global awards circuit.