Clair Obscur Nears Elden Ring's GOTY Record

• Key Takeaways:
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has amassed 411 Game of the Year wins, according to community tracking.
• Elden Ring currently holds the record with 435 GOTY awards; Expedition 33 is within striking distance.
• Expedition 33 has major nominations (DICE, BAFTA longlist) and notable wins, but also a contested Indie award due to minor AI use.
• Sandfall Interactive’s debut has sold over six million copies and the studio is already teasing a follow-up.

Where Expedition 33 stands in the GOTY race

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has surged into the 400s for Game of the Year (GOTY) tallies, reaching 411 wins in a tracker compiled by a ResetEra member. That places Sandfall Interactive’s debut RPG second only to FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, which sits at 435 recorded GOTY awards.

Top contenders by GOTY wins

Community-compiled lists show the current top games by total GOTY awards. The leaders are Elden Ring (435) and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (411), followed by The Last of Us Part II, Baldur’s Gate 3, and The Witcher 3.

Notable leaderboard (selected)

Elden Ring – 435 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – 411 The Last of Us Part II – 326 Baldur’s Gate 3 – 288 The Witcher 3 – 281

Major wins, nominations, and controversies

Expedition 33 has collected high-profile awards including Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and Game of the Year at The Game Awards. It also appears on the BAFTA Game Awards 2026 GOTY longlist and is nominated for Game of the Year at the 2026 DICE Awards.

However, the game’s run hasn’t been without controversy: it briefly won Game of the Year at the Indie Game Awards but was later stripped of that prize after organizers cited minor AI usage during development. The Indie award was subsequently reassigned to Blue Prince.

What this means for Sandfall Interactive and the industry

For a first-time studio, Sandfall’s achievement is rare. Expedition 33 has reportedly sold more than six million copies and established the studio as a major new creative force.

Sandfall says it’s already working on a follow-up project, describing it as “crazy” and promising to stay true to the studio’s DNA rather than chasing broad appeal. The developer has also indicated that Expedition 33 is just one story in a larger franchise possibility.

Outlook

With awards season still active, Expedition 33 could close the gap on Elden Ring if it secures additional media and outlet GOTY nods. Regardless of whether it overtakes the record, the game’s combination of critical acclaim, awards momentum, and strong sales cements its place among the most-decorated releases of recent years.