Sandfall Interactive, the developer behind the surprise hit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has confirmed it has no plans to expand its operations despite the game's remarkable success. While many expected the studio to scale up after the game's breakout performance, Sandfall remains committed to its current team size and development philosophy.

Released in April 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 quickly became one of the year's most unexpected success stories. As Sandfall Interactive's debut title, the turn-based RPG achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching an impressive 3.3 million sales in just 33 days - a fitting number given the game's title.

In a recent interview with Automaton, Sandfall's chief technical officer Tom Guillermin explained the studio's decision to remain small: "We believe our current team size is ideal for the kind of games we want to make. If we were to develop another full-price turn-based RPG, we'd stick with this same structure." This stance comes despite the game's performance potentially allowing for expansion into AAA development.

Guillaume Broche, the studio's creative director, offered additional insight during the interview: "The rising costs of game development are actually making AA productions like ours more viable. With tools like Unreal Engine 5, small teams can create impressive, high-quality games without the massive budgets of AAA titles." He cited The Alters as another successful example of this approach.

While Unreal Engine 5 has faced some criticism regarding performance optimization, there's no denying its impact on lowering the barrier to entry for smaller studios. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands as proof that ambitious, visually impressive games can be created by compact teams using modern development tools.