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The Indie Game Awards, organized by Six One Indie, took place on December 18, where Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed victories for Best Debut Game and Indie Game of the Year. Just two days later, the title faced disqualification after details emerged about its incorporation of generative artificial intelligence. Organizers stripped the game of its honors, passing them along to the original runners-up in response to the violation.
Sandfall Interactive, the developer behind the title, had faced skepticism over its independent credentials given the project’s high-profile production values and sizable team, contrasting with many solo or small-group indie efforts. Still, it met the awards criteria until the AI issue came to light. Evidence surfaced in screenshots from shortly before the April launch, revealing environmental elements like a pillar adorned with posters featuring AI-created text and visuals, which developers removed via a post-release update without fanfare. This differed from The Alters, another game that openly employed generative AI for temporary assets and certain subtitles. Sandfall had mentioned using a limited amount of the technology in a July interview with the Spanish publication El Pais.
The awards program maintains a firm policy barring any generative AI in eligible titles, as outlined in its eligibility guidelines. Six One Indie’s creative director, Mike Towndrow, addressed the matter in a statement on social media, noting that while the submission affirmed no AI involvement, evidence proved otherwise. He emphasized that this breached the established rules, rendering the game ineligible.
Following the disqualification, Sorry We’re Closed now receives the Best Debut Game award, and Blue Prince takes Indie Game of the Year. Sorry We’re Closed launched in 2024, fitting within the nomination period. Officials have reached out to the updated recipients, who plan to deliver acceptance remarks at their earliest convenience.
Towndrow also revoked recognition for one Indie Vanguard honoree, Gorytn Code, whose project Chantey relies entirely on production and distribution from ModRetro. That company, started by defense contractor Palmer Luckey, drew recent attention for its Chromatic handheld’s Anduril variant, which incorporates materials linked to Luckey’s military drone initiatives. Organizers cited this connection as conflicting with the event’s principles.
In a follow-up to the El Pais piece, Sandfall explained that the AI elements represented an unintended carryover from short-lived testing with the tool back in 2022, insisting that the current version of Clair Obscur contains no such generated content. In an industry reliant on developer transparency and player examination, this account stands as the clearest available explanation.
