Proximity to Oblivion Remastered ‘didn’t harm’ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

According to publisher Kepler Interactive, the release of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 alongside The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered didn’t hurt sales.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released on April 24, and has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim with a Metacritic score currently standing at 93 on Xbox Series X/S, 92 on PS5 and 90 on PC.

However, some fans were concerned that the game wouldn’t get much attention because it was set to be released only days after Bethesda shadow dropped The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered.

However, publisher Kepler Interactive says this wasn’t the case.

“[During the Summer Showcase] our game was placed alongside Gears of War, Fable and products that are very traditionally known as AAA products,” Kepler’s senior portfolio director Matt Handrahan told The Game Business.

“Also, by the time that we rolled around, we had momentum of our own and we felt pretty confident that we could stand beside it. I think there were other aspects, like the price point we were at and the inclusion in Game Pass… so we knew we would have a lot of interest around the game.

“We were confident in that. And it went as well as it possibly could have done in our eyes. And, actually, proximity to Oblivion didn’t seem to harm us at all. In many ways, I think it just drew attention to quality RPGs that week and everybody was thinking and talking about the genre.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has praised Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for its success.

The game sold more than 500,000 copies in its first 24 hours, and two days later passed the 1 million units shipped milestone. This number doesn’t take into account the number of players on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

It’s described by the studio as a “reactive turn-based RPG that will transport you to a beautiful, surrealist new world inspired by France’s La Belle Epoque – a period famous for its stunning and lavish contributions to the country’s world-renowned culture of art.

“As a member of the Expeditioners, who are embarking on an impossible quest to end the Paintress’ cycle of death, you’ll journey through a vast and beautiful fantasy world where you’ll battle deadly adversaries, befriend fabled creatures, and discover traces of those who came before.”