Vaspaan Dastoor is an Editor for TheGamer. Previously worked at IGN India and constantly tries to get people to make time for an LOTR marathon. He can be found giving hot takes for cold responses at @DastoorVaspaan
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been raking in all the awards this year, including the big one at the Indie Game Of The Year Awards. However, it was stripped of the award just hours after the ceremony due to the alleged use of AI in its development, and fans were expectedly disappointed. The GOTY title eventually went to Blue Prince.
The backlash was pretty strong, as you’d expect, but The Indie Game Awards said that it has a “hard stance on the use of gen AI throughout the nomination process and during the ceremony itself.” With all this going down last night, Blue Prince publisher Raw Fury has released a statement to clarify that no AI was used during the development of the game.
Blue Prince Reiterates That No AI Was Used During Development
“For people that need confirmation: There is no AI used in Blue Prince,” said Raw Fury’s. “The game was built and crafted with full human instinct by Tonda Ros [Dogubomb] & his team. It is the result of eight years of development, fueled by imagination and creativity, and we are extremely proud of what Tonda has achieved.”
The Indie Game Awards explained in an FAQ how Clair Obscur got nominated in the first place and why the award was later rescinded. “When it was submitted for consideration, a representative of Sandfall Interactive agreed that no gen AI was used in the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Somehow, Blue Prince Makes For The Most Exciting Speedrun I’ve Ever Seen
I can’t believe this is even possible.
“In light of Sandfall Interactive confirming the use of gen AI art in production on the day of the Indie Game Awards 2025 premiere, this does disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from its nomination. While the assets in question were patched out and it is a wonderful game, it does go against the regulations we have in place. As a result, the IGAs nomination committee has agreed to officially retract both the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards.”
- Released
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April 10, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Alcohol Reference, Simulated Gambling
- Developer(s)
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Dogubomb
- Publisher(s)
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Raw Fury
