The Indie Game Awards have officially disqualified Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after the organizers revealed the game used generative AI.
This led to a complete post-ceremony overhaul where the previously recorded results were scrapped and the trophies reassigned to the runners-up.
TL;DR
Clair Obscur Disqualified from Indie Game Awards — What Happened
The Indie Game Awards retroactively stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its wins after confirming the game used generative AI, violating the show’s submission rules.
- Post-show disqualification: Clair Obscur originally won Game of the Year and Debut Game at the December 18, 2025 ceremony, but the results were overturned after the broadcast.
- Reason for removal: The developers had attested that no generative AI was used, but publicly admitted AI usage on the day the show aired, breaking the Indie Game Awards’ strict no-gen-AI policy.
- Awards reassigned:
- Game of the Year → Blue Prince
- Debut Game → Sorry We’re Closed
- Not a rumor: The organizers, Six One Indie, confirmed the correction publicly and replaced the official winners list after the fact.
- Why this matters: The case highlights how seriously AI disclosure is now treated in the industry, with awards, grants, and publishers moving toward stricter verification and transparency rules.
- Open questions remain: It’s still unclear what assets used AI, how much made it into the final game, and how future edge cases (concept art, prototyping, minor AI tools) will be judged.
- Community split: Some see the ruling as necessary rule enforcement, others call it overreach — sparking broader debates about where AI lines should be drawn.
The Indie Game Awards enforced their policy after the fact, setting a clear precedent: undisclosed generative AI use can invalidate wins, even after trophies are handed out.
To be clear, this isn’t just a rumor. It is a full correction announced well after the voting was finalized and the entire show had already aired.
Clair Obscur Disqualified: What Happened
Here is how it all played out. The actual Indie Game Awards ceremony took place on December 18, 2025. During the broadcast, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 walked away with both Game of the Year and Debut Game awards. But the celebration didn’t last long.
On Saturday afternoon, Six One Indie, the crew behind the show, made a public announcement that the game was being stripped of its titles. According to them, this came to light only after voting concluded and the recording was already done. The result is one of the most dramatic post-award reversals we have seen in recent years.
The Stated Reason: Gen AI Policy and Submission Attestation
So why the sudden reversal? The organizers of the Indie Game Awards maintain a strict no-gen-AI policy during both the nomination and award process. When Sandfall Interactive submitted Clair Obscur, they reportedly confirmed that no generative AI had been used in development.
But on the very day of the show’s premiere, Sandfall publicly admitted to using generative AI. That last-minute admission directly violated both the Indie Game Awards policy and the submission terms they had agreed to. The organizers saw this as grounds for disqualification.
Which Awards Changed Hands
As a result of the decision, the awards were reassigned to the next in line. The Game of the Year award now goes to Blue Prince. The Debut Game award is being handed to Sorry We’re Closed.
The organizers said they are applying a consistent rule here. If the winner is disqualified, the runner-up inherits the trophy. So if you come across earlier winner lists online, know that they are now officially outdated.
Generative AI Policy: Why This Is Bigger Than One Ceremony
This case is more than just a one studio losing a trophy. It signals a shift in how the industry is handling AI use.
Disclosure of generative AI tools is quickly becoming a trust issue, not just for awards shows but for publishers, grant committees, and even platform holders. Organizations are now feeling pressure to implement clear AI disclosure rules and verification systems. Expect more forms, stricter terms, and much more attention on what tools were used in development.
Developers will need to document everything. That includes concept art, localization tools, prototyping software, and even simple AI-assisted cleanup. It is becoming harder to draw the line between what’s acceptable and what breaks the rules.
What We Still Don’t Know
There are still big gaps in the story.
We don’t know which specific assets in Clair Obscur were made using generative AI. We don’t know how much of that material made it into the final build. It is also unclear if any of that content was later removed or patched out before release.
Another open question is how the IGA policy treats edge cases. Is early concept art generated by AI enough to trigger disqualification, even if none of it ends up in the shipped game? Is it a strict zero-tolerance policy, or is there room for exceptions?
Community Angle
You can probably guess how the online response is going. Comments sections are overflowing.
Some users are calling the move meaningless virtue signaling. They argue that AI is just another tool and the game still deserved its wins. Others are far less forgiving, saying Clair Obscur cheated by lying on their submission and deserved to be pulled.
Then there is the messy middle ground. If you ban AI, should you also ban Photoshop or Word because they have AI tools now? One user even claimed Blue Prince might have used AI too, which kicked off a new round of debates and accusations.
Here are some of the questions people are now asking:
- Should awards distinguish between AI used for prototyping versus final assets?
- Should studios be required to fully disclose all tool usage in their submissions?
- Should indie teams be held to the same transparency standards as major publishers?
Indie Game Awards 2025: Conclusion
The Indie Game Awards stuck to their rules. They pulled the awards and gave them to the runners-up. Whether you agree with the decision or not, it shows how seriously the topic of AI is now being taken across the industry.