Two RPGs, one week and no loss: Clair Obscur's success was not affected by Oblivion Remastered

More than 1 million copies sold in less than a week, critical acclaim, and a warm reception from the community: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, not only stood out in the market but also faced a heavyweight release — the remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion — without any visible damage.

According to Matt Handrahan, senior portfolio director at Kepler, the impact of the close proximity between the releases was null — or even beneficial.

"In fact, the proximity to Oblivion didn't seem to harm us. In many ways, I think it just drew attention to quality RPGs that week and everyone was thinking and talking about the genre."

In an interview with The Game Business, Handrahan reiterated that there was confidence in the potential of Expedition 33 from the start, especially due to its distinct identity:

"We always knew that Expedition 33 had a very specific identity. When I worked in the press, I saw western and japanese RPGs as experiences with very different appeals and audiences."

While the Oblivion remaster focuses on an open world with freedom of exploration, Clair Obscur bets on turn-based combat, linear and dense narrative, and visuals inspired by French surrealism. Released with Game Pass support and competitive pricing, the game also had a strategic planning that helped expand its reach.

"I think there were other factors. Like the price and inclusion in Game Pass... so we knew there would be a lot of interest in the game."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the prime examples of how modern JRPGs, even with a western aesthetic, still attract large audiences. The comparison with games from Bethesda, like Oblivion Remastered, only highlights the differences between subgenres and reinforces that the market has room for distinct — and quality — experiences.