Published Apr 26, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT We shouldn't let the fact it was expected blind us to how surprising it is Clair Obscur's astonishing Game of the Year run should change gaming for the better Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went into last week's BAFTA Games Awards as the overwhelming favorite, with 12 nominations across a wide range of categories, all of which it seemed a likely winner in. It had been the same story at every one of the major awards ceremonies celebrating the games of 2025, where the French role-playing game's mix of scope and quality with an irresistible underdog narrative — an indie studio's debut game taking on blockbuster productions on their own turf and winning — had proved unbeatable. But for a while there, in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank on a warm Friday evening, it seemed like an upset was on the cards. Category after category, Clair Obscur kept losing. Artistic Achievement went to Death Stranding 2 .…