The game is coming to Steam twice as fast as any other JRPG, so it’s an excellent result for Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive.

Although Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on Xbox Game Pass, it has already sold over 1 million copies, and it’s in remarkably good shape compared to other JRPGs. According to Rhys Elliott, who recently left Midia Research, the game is selling significantly faster on Steam. The Head of Market Analytics at Alinea Analytics told GamesIndustry about the early sales figures, comparing them to other AAA titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a certified hit, with official sales of over one million copies. The announcement didn’t mention total player numbers, but actual units sold. That was a deliberate choice, and I applaud the transparency. Two of those are ports, but the data still clearly shows the strong player interest in Expedition 33. Its low price likely played a role too, as our Steam data shows players tend to jump in when an AAA title drops below $50. There was a gap in the market for a modern, realistic-looking JRPG. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gave RPG fans what they’ve always dreamed of. If you asked late ’90s or early 2000s Final Fantasy fans what the ideal JRPG should look like, it would be something like this,” Elliott said.

This trend doesn’t apply on PlayStation, where Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sold four times faster at launch. Even so, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is still outperforming other competitors. The PlayStation defeat against FFVII Rebirth isn’t surprising, given the massive hype Square Enix generated for their title ahead of its February release.

Elliott’s reference to Square Enix was no accident. Back in June 2022, Naoki Yoshida, producer of Final Fantasy XVI, stated that it was increasingly difficult to combine turn-based combat with realistic visuals, as these elements could feel conflicting for modern players. That game focused entirely on real-time combat, ditching the franchise’s traditional turn-based system. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, however, proves turn-based systems still have a place — especially with real-time dodges and parries integrated into gameplay.

Source: WCCFTech, GamesIndustry