The developer Sandfall Interactive has taken legal action against French author Olivier Gay because his comic, L’Académie Clair-Obscur, bears a name similar to the award-winning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The problem is that Gay’s project predates the game’s release — yet he has chosen to rename his comic rather than fight in court.

The news came from the comic’s author himself, who shared a thread on X explaining what happened with Sandfall Interactive and his decision to avoid a legal confrontation. “I have just received a lawyer’s letter regarding the game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, ordering me to stop selling my comic published by Drako titled L’Académie Clair-Obscur, which allegedly takes advantage of the undeniable success of the game.”

The issue is that the term clair-obscur is not only strongly associated with the art world, but Gay’s project also began taking shape well before Expedition 33 launched in 2025. The author recalls that L’Académie Clair-Obscur was initially pitched to publisher Drako in 2019 and was approved with a contract in 2024. “Therefore, we all agree that this has nothing to do with any desire to take advantage of anything,” he writes.

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The comic’s story does not resemble the Sandfall Interactive fantasy RPG either. Gay’s work follows a young man who joins an elite magic school where a particular spellcasting technique called Clair-Obscur is taught. Although the author describes the situation as an “unpleasant coincidence,” he has made clear he does not plan to go to court with Sandfall Interactive. “I don’t have the energy or the money to start a legal battle, especially against a French studio that I really like.”

“Because that’s the most frustrating part. I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, platinumed it, killed Simon [an optional boss in the RPG known for his high difficulty] in one hit, recommended it on social media, and I have great admiration for Sandfall Interactive’s success story. So there you have it. Seeing them take legal action for no reason is extremely disappointing. The comic will continue under another name and I hope it will still be successful. In any case, I’m counting on you, because I won’t hide the fact that this has depressed me a little,” the author concluded.

Gay’s situation spread quickly online and his X thread attracted the attention of many players, but Sandfall Interactive has not yet issued any official statement regarding the legal dispute. Given that L’Académie Clair-Obscur began taking shape before the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and that the term clair-obscur is widely used to refer to the artistic technique of chiaroscuro, it is possible that the developers will withdraw the claim within days. For now, the only confirmed outcome is that Gay is more than willing to change the name of his comic to avoid further trouble.

Source: 3DJuegos