After 436 GOTY Awards, Sandfall Teases Something New… But Maybe Not Clair Obscur 2
436 Game of the Year awards—an all-time record—and not a single clue about what’s next. Sandfall Interactive is as much a master of suspense in interviews as it is in its games.
Since its April 2025 release, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has swept every award in sight, from the Game Awards to the GDCA 2026. But when it comes to the franchise’s future, the French studio is playing its cards close to the chest. Their lead writer, when pressed at GDC, would sooner threaten the journalist’s life than spill a single detail.
Image credit: Sandfall Interactive
A new game confirmed, but shrouded in mystery
Sandfall Interactive hasn’t revealed what their next project actually is, but one thing’s certain: the Montpellier-based studio is already hard at work. CEO and creative director Guillaume Broche confirmed that development has begun on a new title, describing it only as something “very unique and artsy.” That’s as vague as it gets—so is it a new chapter in the Clair Obscur universe, a spin-off, or something entirely different?
Given the studio’s small size and the fact that Expedition 33 hasn’t even celebrated its first birthday, this next game is still in its infancy. Anyone hoping for a bombshell announcement in the coming months will need to be patient. Sandfall moves at its own pace, far from the usual frenzy that follows a commercial smash hit. The studio has also made it clear they have no plans to expand their team—a philosophy that stands out in an industry obsessed with scaling up.
The lead writer’s strategic silence
Asked at GDC about the future of the Clair Obscur franchise, lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen answered with disarming humor: “If I told you, I’d have to kill you. I’m sorry. I’d love to talk about it, because—as my husband knows—I’m terrible at keeping secrets. I love sharing things. I want to tell everyone everything. But no, I can’t. Really, I’m sorry.” A response that might actually say more than it seems.
Because that categorical refusal to comment? It’s a clue in itself. If there were truly nothing in the works for Clair Obscur, why all the secrecy? A simple “nothing planned for now” would do. The fact that Svedberg-Yen insists she can’t talk—rather than that there’s nothing to talk about—suggests there are definitely internal discussions happening. Direct sequel, new expedition in the same universe, or something else entirely: the studio is keeping its cards very close to the vest.
This carefully crafted silence is no accident. It keeps the conversation buzzing around the brand without locking the studio into any promises—a balancing act few indie developers manage to pull off for long.
A franchise confirmed, but no timeline
The mystery surrounding Sandfall’s next game stands in contrast to what Guillaume Broche said last year. The creative director made it crystal clear that “Clair Obscur” is a franchise name, and Expedition 33 is just one of the stories the studio wants to tell in that universe. That sounded like a multi-episode future, with a world rich enough for new adventures, new characters, and new expeditions.
With its 436 Game of the Year awards—a historic record that even beats Elden Ring—the pressure on Sandfall is off the charts. Every new project will be scrutinized, compared to the original, and judged against sky-high expectations. The studio clearly knows it, and their commitment to staying small says it all: it’s those very constraints that fuel their creativity. Here’s what we know so far:
- Clair Obscur is officially a franchise, not a one-off title
- A new game is in early development, described as “very unique and artsy”
- No confirmation that this next game is set in the Clair Obscur universe
- The studio refuses to scale up despite massive critical and commercial success
- No release window or timeline has been announced
Sandfall Interactive is playing a risky but fascinating game: refusing to be defined by its first smash hit. Instead of rushing out a sequel to cash in on the hype, the French team is taking its time to build something worthy of their ambitions. That might frustrate the most impatient fans, but it’s exactly the approach that gave us Expedition 33 in the first place.
Clair Obscur, PC, PlayStation 5, Steampunk games, Xbox Series X|S
