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- Expedition 33 was recently revealed to be using gen AI in the development process.
- Indie Game Awards have disqualified the RPG, as it doesn’t support the tech.
- The AI-generated assets were later patched out by custom-designed ones.
The gaming community has given a clear stance on the use of generative AI in game development, and it clearly doesn’t support the tech. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reportedly used it, and it has now cost them an award.
Expedition 33 was nominated for the Debut and Game of the Year awards at the Indie Game Awards 2025, but has now been disqualified based on its undisclosed use of generative AI for development purposes.
Why it matters: The community has quickly turned on Sandfall’s RPG since the AI controversy caught fire. It has also received a massive backlash as it went against Steam’s policy of disclosing the use of the tech.
Indie Game Awards has announced that Expedition 33 will be disqualified from its nominations, and if it had won any awards, which it most definitely had, those will be passed on to the next in line titles.
The FAQ section explicitly states that while the AI-generated assets have been patched out of the game, Sandfall initially claimed it didn’t use them. The awards don’t support gen AI, leading to the removal of the GOTY winner.
The gen AI debate is now at its hottest as this his led to a huge argument among the industry and the gaming community. Most devs consider it a good tool, while most audiences are strictly against it.
Overuse of gen AI can lead to AI slop, but most devs believe it can help put placeholder assets and artwork to expedite development, which, in a way, is fine, as it helps the process and doesn’t harm the creative process.
What are your thoughts on Expedition 33 getting removed from Indie Game Awards? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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