Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has firmly established itself as one of the major players in the game industry, having sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The announcement came through the social media account of the game, and it was followed by a very immediate reaction and even hot argument in the gaming community about the game’s eligibility for the Game of the Year award.
Expedition 33 has definitely won the race by a long shot. Five million copies?? That’s not just a victory; this is a cultural phenomenon. Gamers are very vocal about their opinions. The responses to the announcement are a wild mix of sheer happiness and very strong GOTY campaigning. For example, even before the competition has been officially announced, people are already mentioning the likes of Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as the toughest competitors. The comment sections almost turned into a battleground where people are predicting which games would be winning.
One of the users, Miguel Ribeiro, was quite convinced and to the point when he said, “If this doesn’t win the game of the year I will legit never trust your show again, this isn’t even debatable.” A very strong belief indeed. However, he had some backup too, as another player, Stefano_D.V., simply referred to it as a “Deserved, Masterpiece.” The game’s popularity is simply amazing.
Nevertheless, hype would not be hype if there was not a little bit of resistance. There is always one such person. One user named Mr.Milka tried to categorize the combat as “boring,” and he was immediately countered by others praising the game’s variety and combat mechanics. One more guy, rowafruitt, just labelled the game “mid,” which is… a stance, no doubt. But most of the comments were favorable with many talking about the sheer effort and the size of Expedition 33 as factors that set it apart from the definitively expected titles.
Naturally, the conversation shifted to Hollow Knight: Silksong, the sequel which is always waited on. This is the never-ending “what if” game. The hard-core gamers think that the battle for GOTY is between E33 and Silksong. One user, Shadowking58, even made a meme showing the two games together calling them “the two best games of the year and it’s not even close.” Yet, others, as Miguel Ribeiro again, were arguing that Silksong was on top of a good base, while Expedition 33 was built from the ground up with more money and effort. It is a classic indie-vs-mainstream argument.
Next, there were… some odd comments. One user, going by the name of Whitesnake, noted that “33… that’s two threes… like Half-Life 2: Episode 3…” which is a connection that probably only hardcore gamers can understand, and frankly, what does this even mean?? Another user, iHamadg1, who was posting in Arabic and whose post translates to “By God, it deserves more,” suggested the game’s global reach. And how can we forget HonoraDraco, who humorously stated, “And I’m proud to not be one of them. Lmao,” which is an amusing and at the same time true opinion—not everyone has to go with the flow.
But one thing is for sure, Expedition 33 has stolen the limelight. Sales are not the only aspect of the game; rather, it is about the communication that it has generated. Players are really into mapping the game world, knowing the characters, and deciding on the gaming history this year. The recognition of it being the most top game is obvious. When a game sells 5 million copies and the majority of the feedback is “This BETTER win Game of the Year,” then you can be certain that the makers have done something exceptional.
Furthermore, the developer Sandfall Interactive is the one who has been very thoughtful regarding the whole issue. They have even given a shout-out to Team Cherry on the Silksong release in an unrelated, older response, which shows some real tact and camaraderie in the indie dev scene. That’s really a great vibe.
So where do we go from here? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is going to be remembered as a blockbuster, both in terms of sales and gamers’ hearts. The competition for the Game of the Year awards has become much more thrilling. With other big contenders like Silksong still in the queue, the debate is only going to get hotter. But for the time being, Sandfall Interactive can enjoy the well-earned victory of 5 million copies sold and the production of a game that has created such strong emotions among people. That’s a win any way you look at it. The journey is definitely not over yet.
