Sandfall is preparing a new game after the success of Expedition 33

Five years after its foundation, Sandfall Interactive achieved global recognition with its first major project: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. With a recent release, the game has already established itself as one of the highest rated titles of 2025, sharing the top spot on Metacritic with Blue Prince, and quickly surpassing all commercial expectations of the team.

"Smashed our forecasts pretty fast," declared François Meurisse, producer and director of operations at Sandfall, in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. The statement confirms that the performance of the title surprised internally, even with the good reception from critics and strong engagement from the audience.

Sandfall's good phase is not limited to numbers. Meurisse revealed that the studio already has initial ideas for a new project. Still without confirmation if it will be a direct sequel to Expedition 33 or a new IP, the producer assures that there are solid plans in progress. "There will be another video game, for sure," he affirmed. And concluded: "I can't wait to dig more into the ideas we already have for the next game."

The development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also represented an internal milestone. The team, mostly composed of junior developers at the beginning of production, matured throughout the process. "Many of them were juniors, and they all learned to work together," Meurisse commented. This technical and organizational evolution is expected to directly impact the company's next project.

Creative director Guillaume Broche, mentioned by Meurisse, is also leading the ideas for the new title, indicating that Sandfall intends to maintain the artistic and narrative identity that characterized Expedition 33. Even if it's not a classic JRPG, it's likely that the new production will preserve some of the aesthetics and mechanics that made the debut game so praised.

The success of the French studio is particularly significant in the current scenario of narrative games with Japanese inspiration. In a market dominated by major franchises, Sandfall Interactive, based in Montpellier, stood out by combining strategic combat, stylized art direction, and introspective narrative, elements that reinforced its appeal to a demanding audience.

With no announced schedule, Sandfall's new project now enters the industry's radar, and it remains to be seen if the studio will be able to turn the debut promise into long-term consistency.