December 21, 2025
TGA Game of the Year Winner Disqualified From Indie Awards Over Generative AI Use
🎮 AI Controversy Shakes the Indie Awards
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially been disqualified from the Indie Game Awards 2025 after its developer confirmed that generative AI was used during development. The ruling came from Six One Indie, the organization behind the awards, which maintains a strict policy against AI-generated content in eligible games.
As a result, the game lost the two awards it initially won during the December 18 showcase. Those honors were reassigned to the runners-up, sparking renewed discussion across the gaming community about how AI should be treated in creative development.
⚖️ Why Expedition 33 Was Disqualified
According to a statement published in the Indie Game Awards FAQ, Sandfall Interactive originally confirmed during the nomination process that no generative AI had been used in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, on the day of the awards, a producer from the studio acknowledged that generative AI had been used earlier in development.
This confirmation directly violated the award show’s eligibility rules, prompting Six One Indie to retract the game’s wins. Even though the AI-generated assets were placeholders and later removed from the final release, the usage itself was enough to trigger disqualification under the event’s guidelines.
🏆 Awards Reassigned to Runners-Up
Before the disqualification, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had received:
- Debut Game of the Year
- Game of the Year
Following the ruling:
- Sorry We’re Closed was awarded Debut Game of the Year
- Blue Prince received Game of the Year
The developers of both titles were invited to record official acceptance speeches, which are expected to be published in early 2026.
🤖 A Divided Industry on Generative AI
The situation highlights a growing divide within the game development community. Some creators view generative AI as a useful tool during early conceptual stages, while others believe any AI-generated art undermines human creativity.
Sandfall Interactive has stated that it opposes the use of “creative” AI as a replacement for human-made art, emphasizing that the AI assets in question were temporary and removed before launch. Still, the Indie Game Awards’ stance reflects a zero-tolerance approach that contrasts with more flexible policies elsewhere in the industry.
🌟 Record-Breaking Success at The Game Awards 2025
Despite the controversy, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved historic success at The Game Awards 2025, winning 9 awards from 12 nominations, including:
- Game of the Year
- Best Game Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Music and Score
- Best Performance
- Best Role-Playing Game
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
This performance set a new record for most wins in a single year, reinforcing the game’s critical and commercial impact.
🧠Final Thoughts
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s disqualification underscores the lack of consensus around generative AI in game development. While some award bodies enforce strict boundaries, others continue to recognize games based on final creative output rather than development tools.
As AI becomes more embedded in production pipelines, the industry faces a pivotal moment. How developers, platforms, and award organizations navigate this divide will shape the future of creative standards in gaming.