The Game Awards Gave Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 A Massive Boost - GameSpot
December 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM
The Game Awards catapulted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to new heights
After sweeping The Game Awards 2025 with nine wins including Game of the Year, Sandfall Interactive’s RPG enjoyed a major second wind. Already one of the year’s top hits, the post-show spotlight drove measurable spikes in sales and player activity across platforms.
Key takeaways
- Sales surge: Up 21% on PS5 and 76% on Steam; Xbox rose 3%, likely tempered by Game Pass. Combined post–Game Awards sales across PC and consoles surpassed 200,000 additional copies (Alinea Analytics).
- Player momentum: Weekend peak hit 56,993 concurrent players on Steam, the highest since June (SteamDB).
- Engagement tripled: The share of US active PS, Xbox, and Steam players starting the game more than tripled between Dec 10 and Dec 13, with the largest lift on Steam (Circana).
- Daily active ranks on Dec 13 (US): No. 13 on Steam, No. 30 on PlayStation, No. 33 on Xbox. Circana notes engagement counted anyone who launched the game that day; active player reflects the share of all people who played any game on those platforms.
What fueled the spike
- Timely DLC: A new DLC launched immediately after the final award, galvanizing both new and returning players.
- Broad recognition: Expedition 33 won 9 of 13 nominations and even received congratulations from French President Emmanuel Macron. GameSpot also named it the 2025 Game of the Year.
Why it matters
Awards visibility paired with a well-timed content drop can dramatically amplify reach and retention, even for an already successful title.