Expedition 33 After Controversial Game Awards Comments

Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek has finally relented and played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Seven hours later, he concluded that he likes the game, marking a slight change of heart compared to his earlier comments that sparked controversy among Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans.

In early November 2025, Shroud urged his fans to pick ARC Raiders over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in any Game of the Year award with public voting. He argued that multiplayer titles have long been underrepresented at award ceremonies and suggested that if one were to finally win the top honor, ARC Raiders would be a deserving choice. “Do not let that Expedition game win game of the year,” he said, calling for everyone to “band together” and help ARC Raiders do so instead, while adding that “multiplayer gamers are the minority.” The comments drew pushback from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans, but also invited broader scrutiny. For instance, the fact that multiplayer games have dominated best-seller charts for years prompted some to question how Shroud defines a “minority” audience, while others criticized him for dismissing Sandfall Interactive’s RPG without having played it.

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Shroud Finally Plays Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ends Up Liking It

In response to some of the backlash his comments had received, Shroud later pledged that if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won the GOTY accolade at The Game Awards 2025, he would play it. He followed through on that promise on December 21 during a 12-hour stream that began with ARC Raiders but ended up focusing primarily on the award-winning RPG. After playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for approximately seven hours, the Twitch star admitted he liked it—or, more precisely, that he liked what he had seen so far.

Asmongold Told Shroud He’d Like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 If He Gave It a Chance

“Dare I say Asmongold was right,” Shroud commented near the end of the stream, around the 12:25:32 mark. “He said, when I play this game after it wins Game of the Year, I’m gonna enjoy it.” Following up on that train of thought, the streamer acknowledged that while it might be too soon to conclude that he likes the entire package, he was optimistic about his chances of doing so. “The game can’t get worse; it’s gonna only get better,” he remarked. At the time, he was about seven hours into the story, having already fully explored a handful of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s early-game locations and assembled a three-person party.

Like Many Others, Shroud Enjoys Clair Obscur Combat Despite Not Normally Liking Turn-Based RPGs

Near the very end of the stream, Shroud reiterated his previous remarks, saying, “The game’s cool, I like it.” He specifically praised its gameplay, noting that he had enjoyed learning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s parrying system. His comments echoed those of many players who don’t typically engage with turn-based RPGs but ended up liking this one; Shroud admitted he’s usually not a fan of the genre and wasn’t sure he would have enjoyed the game as much without its engaging real-time combat component. The Twitch star did not offer many thoughts on the story, remarking that while the pacing was picking up by the time he was ending the stream, storytelling isn’t something he generally looks for in a game.

Although Shroud did not walk back his earlier claim that ARC Raiders deserves a GOTY award win over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the fact that he ended up enjoying the latter underscores the broad mainstream appeal that Sandfall Interactive managed to achieve with its debut title. Reflecting on its growing fandom, the French developer recently revealed it has already begun early work on its next game. In an October 2025 interview, Sandfall CEO and Creative Director Guillaume Broche described the upcoming title as “very unique and artsy,” while noting the studio does not plan to significantly expand its headcount for the project.

Released

April 24, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Developer(s)

Sandfall Interactive

Publisher(s)

Kepler Interactive

Source: Dexerto