Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially become the most-played third-party title on Xbox Game Pass in 2025. Microsoft revealed the milestone on Wednesday (3) through the Xbox Wire blog, noting that the data reflects the number of unique players during the game’s first 30 days on the service.
For Sandfall Interactive, the studio behind the French-made JRPG, Xbox Game Pass played a key role in helping the game reach a wider audience — especially given that turn-based combat can sometimes discourage players who prefer action-heavy experiences.
Creative director Guillaume Broche explained:
“The turn-based RPG genre has many fans, but it can sometimes alienate players who prefer real-time action games. Game Pass lowered that barrier. People could simply try it. Many curious players picked up the game, explored Lumière and the start of the adventure, and realized there was a lot to enjoy even if they weren’t expecting it.”
A long-standing partnership between Xbox and Sandfall Interactive
The relationship between Xbox and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 goes back quite a while. The game made its debut during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, widely regarded as one of Microsoft’s strongest presentations in recent years. That showcase included major announcements such as Gears of War: E-Day, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and what ultimately became the final trailer for the now-cancelled Perfect Dark reboot.
The JRPG returned to the spotlight during Xbox Developer_Direct 2025, where Sandfall Interactive shared deeper insights into the game ahead of its April launch. According to Broche, Xbox’s support helped elevate the project from its reveal all the way through release.
“From announcing our game in Summer 2024 during the Xbox Games Showcase to participating in Developer_Direct in January, Xbox helped us spread the word and reach a lot of players.”
Xbox Game Pass and The Game Awards 2025: a strong lineup
This year’s Game Awards nominees further underline the strength of Xbox Game Pass’s library. Out of more than 70 nominations, 18 games were either added to the subscription in 2025 or are otherwise connected to the service (including titles like Fortnite and League of Legends).
Two standout hits — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong — earned numerous nominations, including a spot in the prestigious Game of the Year category. Other celebrated titles on Game Pass, such as Blue Prince and The Alters, were also recognised.
Categories like Best Independent Game and Best RPG were especially dominated by titles available through Microsoft’s subscription service, reinforcing Game Pass’s position as one of the strongest content offerings in the industry today.
