Despite launching alongside the towering release of Oblivion Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t just hold its own — it became a breakout hit, racking up over 500,000 sales in a single day. The devs at Sandfall Interactive admit they never expected this level of success so soon.

Sandfall Interactive has confirmed that its debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, sold more than half a million copies within 24 hours of launch across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The studio posted on Twitter: “A milestone for us, reached sooner than we’d ever imagined. Thank you all.”

Clair Obscur rises despite Oblivion’s looming shadow

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is the uphill battle it faced: launching right after Oblivion Remastered and being available for free via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — two factors that usually bury indie releases. But somehow, Expedition 33 broke through the noise.

While many fans feared Bethesda’s heavyweight RPG would overshadow the newcomer, the opposite happened. Bethesda joined the celebration, posting art of seven “Adoring Fans” cheering while watching Expedition 33 onscreen. Even Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing director chimed in, praising the game: “This game was made by a team that has fewer people than I have years.”

To be fair, the two games aren’t true rivals — Expedition 33 is an old-school JRPG at heart, whereas Oblivion Remastered stays true to Bethesda’s Western RPG legacy. Still, with both dropping within days of each other, many players found themselves pressed for time. (Yes, I’m “many players.”)

The little indie that didn’t get crushed

In a rare show of solidarity, Bethesda’s endorsement helped shine a light on a title that lacks the name recognition of a 19-year-old classic. Meanwhile, indie publisher Raw Fury pointed out how surprise drops like Oblivion Remastered often stomp on smaller titles. Their own recent horror homage Post Trauma had to carefully dodge such release windows.

But Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proved that even in the shadow of giants, an original, heartfelt game can shine bright — especially when backed by talent, timing, and just a little bit of luck.

Source: GamesRadar