Clair Obscur Director Says AI-Made Games in Seconds Feel “Scary
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche has opened up about one of his biggest worries regarding how artificial intelligence will shape game development—calling the idea “a little scary.” As AI tools become a bigger part of the conversation across the industry, Broche’s comments add a clear, human angle to the debate about what technology should (and shouldn’t) do in the creative process.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which took home Game of the Year, was one of 2025’s biggest surprises. While most major AAA releases are driven by large teams at massive studios, Sandfall Interactive—working with a much smaller staff—managed to exceed expectations across the board. Its punchy storytelling paired with solid JRPG fundamentals helped it land as both a critical standout and a commercial hit.
Everyone probably has an obvious answer ready for what Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s saddest moment is, but the truth is there may be even more heartbreaking beats hidden elsewhere.
Clair Obscur Lead Says ‘Everyone’s a Little Scared’ of AI’s Future in Games
Recently, Guillaume Broche sat down on Konbini’s Video Game Club on YouTube to share his views on generative AI and its use in games. He said his studio is not applying the technology for anything “creative,” arguing that it “takes away from the joy of creating things.” Even so, Broche emphasized that he isn’t dismissing the future possibilities—he’s just uneasy about where they might lead. “I think everyone’s a little scared, though—of the road ahead, of how things might turn out,” he said. He added that video games still feel somewhat protected today, because the industry is operating in a different reality than other fields, but he believes that could change. In his view, the day will eventually arrive where teams can “churn out a game in five seconds with a prompt.”
Guess the games from the emojis.
Gamoji
Guess the game from the emojis.
There’s no denying that generative AI keeps getting more capable, but whether that translates into a better final product is another question entirely. Broche framed it bluntly: “Will it be a good game? I hope not.” He followed that by pointing out that most people are asking the same thing and, in his words, “admitting it’s a little scary.”
I think everyone’s a little scared, though—of the road ahead, of how things might turn out.
Generative AI is arguably one of the most divisive subjects in gaming right now. Some titles have used AI to generate temporary placeholder artwork, with the intention of swapping those visuals with human-made assets before launch. Still, game production involves so many moving parts that mistakes can slip through, and sometimes those AI-generated elements end up in the shipped version. That’s what happened with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—AI-related assets made their way into the game, were removed quickly once noticed, yet the controversy lingered. In other cases over the last few years, AI has been used more intentionally to cut costs, but that often comes with a tradeoff: less creativity. It’s a debate that doesn’t seem likely to cool off anytime soon.
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As for what comes next for the Clair Obscur franchise, Sandfall Interactive is keeping its plans tight-lipped. It’s still unclear whether the studio wants to treat the series as a standalone experience or build further on the world introduced in its earlier release. Either way, the success of Expedition 33 means there will be plenty of players waiting to see what the developer does next.
