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By
Ben Brosofsky
Published 9 minutes ago
Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.
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2025 has been a busy year for Xbox Game Pass RPGs, with new releases ranging from Obsidian's Avowed to Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. While Game Pass numbers can be elusive, a lot of these games seemed like reasonable successes, with launches that generated their fair share of hype and discussion. One, however, has clearly risen above the rest.
Today, Xbox Wire announced that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was "the biggest new third-party game launch on Xbox Game Pass of 2025." While the wording means that one or more Microsoft games may have edged it out, it's a massive accomplishment for a small studio. The data is based on the game's performance within its "first 30 days of availability," and with months of positive discussion and awards hype since, its lead has likely only continued to grow.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is A Game Pass Hit
Custom image by Katarina Cimbaljevic
Guillaume Broche, the director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive, credits the service with part of the game's success. While the turn-based RPG genre might not always appeal to every player, "Game Pass lowered that barrier of entry," letting people who might not normally consider the game try it out.
ID@Xbox director Guy Richards emphasizes the sense that Expedition 33 was special from the start, noting that early builds of the game revealed Sandfall's ambition and "the kind of experience [Xbox] knew Xbox players would love to discover." The Xbox Wire post asserts that "Xbox is proud to have supported Sandfall in sharing this excellent game with the world."
Expedition 33's Status Isn't Surprising
Based on buzz alone, it's not shocking to see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claim the third-party Game Pass throne. It's inspired endless waves of positive reviews, fan art, cosplay, and more this year, and it's looking like a lock for some major Game Awards wins next week.
All the same, it's interesting to see a turn-based RPG have such spectacular success on Xbox. The platform always featured fewer JRPGs than Nintendo and Sony consoles, meaning the audience of established turn-based combat fans is generally smaller. Clearly, the lower barrier to entry that Broche mentioned was indeed effective in winning converts.
For those without Game Pass, the MSRP of $49.99 has also done Expedition 33 some favors, lowering that barrier in yet another way. After five or six years spent in development, 2025 is basically a big victory lap for Sandfall, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Xbox Game Pass record is just one of many cherries on top.
26
9.8/10
9/10
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed Turn-Based RPG JRPG Fantasy Systems
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Avg:
92/100
Critics Rec:
97%
Released
April 24, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Sandfall Interactive
Publisher(s)
Kepler Interactive
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
10 Images
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Genre(s)
Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
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