Clair Obscur Expedition 33 hits 8 million sales in first year, shows AA gaming is stronger than ever

After winning tons of awards and selling millions of copies, Clair Obscur is one of the most successful games in recent memory and proves the AA market is prime for expansion.

3

Following the humdrum and predictable cycles of AAA games and live service titles, Indies are finding a new foothold. AA games are attracting new users in droves, and some of the most popular best-sellers of the last two years have been independent titles. Clair Obscur was a leader in the space when it broke the mold, amassing 1 million copies in just 3 days thanks to powerful online buzz and word of mouth. Now it's been revealed the game has crossed the 8 million sales milestone, fortifying Clair Obscur as a bonafide franchise for developer Sandfall Interactive.

"We're so thrilled, and honestly still quite overwhelmed, to announce that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially reached 8 MILLION copies sold," the developer wrote on Twitter. "Thank you so so much to every single person who has played, created art, shared, streamed, discussed, and supported this game!!"

3

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 sales trends

• April 27, 2025 - 1 million sales in 3 days
• May 6, 2025 - 2 million sales in 12 days
• May 27, 2025 - 3.3 million sales in 33 days
• October 28, 2025 - 5 million sales in 167 days
• April 24, 2026 - 8 million sales in 365 days

Putting these sales in perspective shows that the AA game has grown consistently throughout its first year, which is typically hard to pull off, as games can lose their sales momentum around six months or so after launch--pending discounts and sales.

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 had the benefit of never really leaving the public eye over the last year or so. The game has been talked about repeatedly via news sites, where Sandfall has published multiple millions-strong sales updates. The game also popped up on multiple awards showcases, where it has done so well that has now won Game of the Year at all major awards shows, following in Baldur's Gate 3's footsteps.

Developer Sandfall Interactive plans to release more games in the Clair Obscur series, but the studio is not expected to make a direct sequel to Expedition 33.

"Clair Obscur is the franchise name. Expedition 33 is one of the stories that we want to tell in this franchise. Exactly what it will look like, and what the concept will be...it's still too soon to announce. What is sure is that this is not the end of the Clair Obscur franchise," Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche told YouTuber MrMattyPlays in August 2025.