Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer reveals expansion plans after AA success

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has made waves this year, and naturally, fans are curious about its development studio's next steps, especially its expansion plans. Interestingly, despite the game’s massive success, Sandfall Interactive isn’t rushing to grow bigger. Instead, the studio is sticking to the size and approach that helped it land one of the biggest surprise hits of 2025.

This was the first major release from Sandfall Interactive, and it came out swinging. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 crossed over one million units sold in just three days, and then hit a staggering 3.3 million copies in 33 days. This is certainly not bad for what many would call a AA turn-based RPG, especially considering it dropped right alongside Oblivion Remastered and still held its ground.

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Sandfall Interactive shares its expansion plans following Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's successful launch

Most development teams would look at Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's sales numbers and immediately think about scaling up. However, in a recent interview with Automaton, Sandfall’s lead programmer, Tom Guillermin, made it clear they’re not looking to expand just yet. In his words:

“I think it's better to have a [small team] for now... The ideal size of the team is... I don't know but if I'm going to make a full-price turn-based RPG again, [the current team size] is just as good as it is now.”

For fans hoping for a jump to AAA-scale development, this might come as a surprise. That said, it also shows how grounded the studio remains, even in the middle of major success. It’s about maintaining control and not losing the identity that helped the game stand out in the first place.

UE5 makes smaller studios more competitive

Creative Director Guillaume Broche has also shared some insight into the studio's mindset. He pointed out how Unreal Engine 5 has shifted what’s possible for smaller teams, helping developers make polished, standout titles without requiring massive resources.

Gameplay still from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Image via Sandfall Interactive)

That’s exactly how Sandfall was able to create Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a visually strong, well-designed RPG, without a bloated team or a AAA budget. Launching in a week where it directly competed with Bethesda’s surprise remaster, and still making a mark, was no small feat.

And don’t forget this game launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, which made its full-price sales numbers even more impressive. Many players expected it to get buried, but it ended up thriving. Word of mouth did its job.

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No DLC expansion plans, but the work continues

As for what’s next, no DLC expansion plans for Expedition 33 have been announced, and there are no major expansion plans in terms of studio size. Right now, Sandfall seems fully focused on polishing the game and making sure it stays true to its original vision.

Whatever they do next, the developers have already proven that quality can shine through without needing to go massive. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will likely stay on people’s radars for a while, not just for its gameplay, but for how it changed expectations of what a small studio can achieve.

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Check out: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 endings explained