Overview
- The Indie Game Awards rescinded Game of the Year and Debut Game for Clair Obscur on Dec. 20 after confirming the launch build included generative AI assets that were later patched out.
- An official FAQ says Sandfall representatives agreed at submission that no gen‑AI was used, then confirmed gen‑AI art on the day of the IGA premiere, triggering disqualification.
- The IGA reassigned Game of the Year to Blue Prince and Debut Game to We’re Closed, with new acceptance speeches to be recorded in early 2026 due to the holiday break.
- Sandfall CEO François Meurisse previously told El País the studio used a minimal amount of AI during development.
- Players on X and Reddit had flagged suspected AI‑generated textures at launch, feeding into a broader industry discussion about AI tools highlighted by recent comments from Larian’s Swen Vincke.