The highly-acclaimed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just added yet another accolade to its name — as it’s now the biggest new third-party game launch on Xbox Game Pass in 2025.
Microsoft announced the news today after examining data from every day one Xbox Game Pass launch this year, and ranking every third-party game by the number of unique users during its first 30 days of availability.
It’s a hugely impressive achievement for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut game from French studio Sandfall Interactive, for several different reasons. Firstly, because the game arrived just two days after Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (which itself also launched via Game Pass). And secondly, because we already know that Clair Obscur went on to sell very well too (5 million copies in five months) — something its launch via Game Pass does not appear to have dented.
“From being there to announce our game back in Summer 2024, to coming to the studio for the Developer_Direct video in January, Xbox helped us get the word out there and reach a lot of players,” Sandfall creative director Guillaume Broche said in a statement.
Xbox Game Pass let “a lot of people try our game when maybe they might not have before,” Broche continued. “The turn-based RPG genre has a lot of fans but sometimes it might put people who prefer more real-time action games off, but Game Pass lowered that barrier of entry. They could just try it and see how it feels. So a lot of curious players could start the game, explore Lumière and the early game, and realize there’s a lot to enjoy here, even if they weren’t expecting it at first.”
So, what was Clair Obscur’s Xbox Game Pass competition? It’s been a long year, so it’s worth reminding ourselves of everything the turn-based RPG has beaten to become this year’s biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass release. (And remember, this is separate to Microsoft’s own first-party output, which will include Avowed and South by Midnight, as well as Bethesda games such as The Outer Worlds 2, and Activision fare like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.)
Other third-party games that arrived day one via Microsoft’s subscription service notably included the highly-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong, as well as the post-apocalyptic survival game Atomfall. The highly-acclaimed indie puzzle favorite Blue Prince also arrived this year, as did Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Ball X Pit, and PowerWash Simulator 2.
Bloody waiters. Asking you what you’d like to eat after you waltz into the restaurant at which they’re employed. The absolute cheek of it. Why can’t they just ingest my money and spit a vaguely edible chocolate bar out of their belly button? This is the central philosophy which serves as the “touchstone” of BioShock creator Ken Levine’s Judas and its protagonist, Judas.
Yep, there’s another dev blog out for the BioShocky FPS in which you’ll run around a colony ship and gradually force someone to dislike you so much they go full villain.
Briana White, the actress who portrays Aerith in Final Fantasy 7, has called on fans to stop tagging voice artists in spicy material featuring their characters.
The discussion began after White saw KPop: Demon Hunters actor Rei Ami discovering adult fanfiction featuring her character Zoey. In response, White suggested fans in general had “forgotten the meaning of the word inappropriate.”
“Maybe let’s normalize not tagging voice actors in smut of their characters,” White wrote in a series of posts on X. But many fans responded by saying Ami had gone on to look for the content purposefully — to which White then suggested it was all a matter of “consent.”
“It’s really a shame when VAs want to interact with the people who love the characters on social media but just a few creeps ruin it for everyone,” White wrote, acknowledging that she had seen all sorts of fan-made Final Fantasy 7 content even though she tried to “actively avoid it.”
White portrayed Aerith in the 2020 Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a role she has then continued in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, 2024’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.
“I’m so associated with FF7 that it gets shown to me every single day anyway,” White explained. “As someone said earlier, it is a matter of consent. And it can be almost impossible to know what exactly is acceptable or not to an individual just from knowing their social media persona.”
Ultimately, White conceded that while Ami had chosen to seek out the fan-made content that had prompted her initial post, fans should still be mindful of what they share. “Alright alright y’all have spoken and I hear you,” White concluded. “Point stands, just not for [Rei Ami]. Carry on.”
“It’s about making sure the pacing feels right,” series director Naoki Hamaguchi said. “It’s not about cutting out content, it’s making sure that it feels right, the speed that the story progresses at feels right, and it is fairly quick and feels like you can get through it at a reasonable pace. But it has to feel right, so that’s what I mainly intended to say there.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
The Soulslike is dead. The age of the Souplike has begun. It’s been going for decades, in fact. Indie developer Kite Line has just published Soup Rooms – a sequel of sorts to dong yarhalla’s videogame concept album from 2007, in which you visit small square rooms with feverdream aesthetics and a peculiar entity in the middle.
What was I doing back in 2007? Alas, I was not playing Soup. There’s a high probability that I cooked soup in 2007, but it wouldn’t have been very interesting soup. It would not have featured any spirit wolves, whiny fallen clouds, consumptive Casio men, “boinglers”, or Willem Dafoes.
We were delighted to see Ustwo Games’ gorgeous mobile puzzler, Monument Valley 3, make the jump to Switch earlier this year, and today the dev has given us even more story chapters to sink our teeth into — for free!
The ‘Garden of Life’ expansion is now available on Switch, bolting four additional chapters onto the end of the main game, packed with even more of the series’ signature perspective-bending puzzles. There are even some hidden optional puzzles to find in the bonus levels, for those after even more.
Fresh from sweeping the Golden Joysticks and poised to do the same at The Game Awards, Sandfall Interactive’s phenomenal debut RPG is one of the most buzzed-about releases of the year, so it should surprise no one when we announce that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is the biggest new third-party game launch on Xbox Game Pass of 2025. That’s based on the number of unique users in the first 30 days of its availability, which means a huge number of Xbox players joined Maelle, Gustave, Esquie, and the gang on their journey right from the beginning.
Sandfall Interactive creative director Guillaume Broche told us how grateful he is for all that love: “This year has been so far beyond what any of us could have imagined, and it’s down to how passionate and supportive our fans have been to make that a reality. It’s really nerve-wracking to be a new studio releasing our first game, but the support of everyone has really made everything feel like a dream.”
ID@Xbox Director Guy Richards explained why Expedition 33 stood out early on as a game we wanted to put weight behind: “From the start, Sandfall’s ambition was clear and we really felt they wanted to create something truly special, something beyond expectations for the team. Once we played early builds, we experienced their gripping story, stunning visuals and the mix of JRPG mechanics with French cultural themes that felt fresh and distinctive. It’s the kind of experience we knew Xbox players would love to discover.”
For Broche, that support from Xbox was instrumental in helping the game make as big a splash as it has. “From being there to announce our game back in Summer 2024, to coming to the studio for the Developer_Direct video in January, Xbox helped us get the word out there and reach a lot of players.”
He also noted how Game Pass allowed them to reach a much wider audience, “letting a lot of people try our game when maybe they might not have before. The turn-based RPG genre has a lot of fans but sometimes it might put people who prefer more real-time action games off, but Game Pass lowered that barrier of entry. They could just try it and see how it feels. So a lot of curious players could start the game, explore Lumière and the early game, and realize there’s a lot to enjoy here, even if they weren’t expecting it at first.”
Set in a whimsical fantasia that belies dark secrets, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 follows the eponymous Expedition on a doomed mission to save their city from the mysterious Paintress, a godlike being that has obliterated the city’s eldest cohort every single year for decades following a cataclysm that rent the world asunder. It has captured hearts and minds all over the world for both its memorable characters and story as well as for its thrilling, savvy evolution of classic turn-based RPG battles.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a prime example of the innovative and diverse range of experiences that Xbox Game Pass was created to support, helping developers of all sizes reach a huge global audience while bringing unparalleled value to our players. Xbox is proud to have supported Sandfall in sharing this excellent game with the world, and we look forward to bringing many more exciting titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one.
If you haven’t yet joined the Expedition, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud. It’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone past that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission – Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.
We are Expedition 33.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
Reactive Turn-based Combat
In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat – dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system.
“Tomorrow Comes”
With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.
A Hauntingly Beautiful World
Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend. Recruit special companions to access new travel methods and discover secret areas in the World Map.
Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.
The free Spec III Update 1.65* brings an exciting mix of high-performance machines, classic icons, and cutting-edge technology to Gran Turismo. From Ferrari’s latest track-bred GT3 to Polestar’s electric powerhouse, plus new circuits, events, and features, there’s something for every racing enthusiast.**
The new paid Power Pack DLC for GT7 on PS5 brings 50 new races across 20 themed categories, including 24-hour races, six unique cars specially tuned by Gran Turismo, tail-to-nose battles with Gran Turismo Sophy 3.0, and bundled with 5,000,000 in-game Credits for $29.99 USD through PlayStation Store.***
Spec III Update and the Power Pack Add-on for Gran Turismo 7 is available Thursday, December 4 at 00:00 local time. *2:00am BST / 4:00pm JST.
More information and details on Spec III Update and Power Pack Add-on available at the Gran Turismo website.
Spec III Update 1.65
8 new cars**
Ferrari 296 GT3 ’23
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
A pure racing evolution of the 296 GTB, the GT3 drops the hybrid system for a 600 hp 3.0L twin-turbo V6. Built by Oreca, it debuted at the 2022 Spa 24 Hours and raced at Daytona in 2023. An Evo version arrives in 2026.
Ferrari 296 GTB ’22
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
Ferrari’s first V6 twin-turbo road car in decades, paired with a PHEV system for 830 hp. It accelerates 0–62 mph in 2.9s and tops 205 mph. Compact design echoes the 250 LM, blending tradition with innovation.
FIAT Panda 30 CL ’85
(Can be purchased from Used Cars)
Giugiaro’s minimalist masterpiece, the Panda was a practical FWD hatchback with flat panels and hammock seats. Engines ranged from 652 cc to 903 cc, and a pioneering 4×4 model appeared in 1983.
Gran Turismo F3500-B
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
A tribute to ’90s F1, this formula car swaps the V12 for a high-revving V8 producing 700+ hp. It’s lightweight, responsive, and fitted with adjustable front wings.
Mine’s BNR34 GT-R N1 base
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
Mine’s tuned R34 GT-R blends street style with track prowess, clocking sub-1-min laps at Tsukuba. Restored in 2021, it remains a legend among enthusiasts.
Mitsubishi FTO GP Version R ’97
(Can be purchased from Used Cars)
A stylish FF coupé with up to 197 hp via MIVEC tech and advanced INVECS-II transmission.
Polestar 5 Performance ’26
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
A 5m electric GT with 872 hp, 1,015 Nm torque, and 416-mile range. It features a bonded aluminum frame, with the performance edition sporting magnetorheological fluid dampers, and 350 kW fast charging.
Renault Espace F1 ’95
(Can be purchased from Legend Cars)
Europe’s first minivan, with a 3.5L V10 F1 engine producing 788 hp. Built by Matra, it hits 196 mph and accelerates to 62 mph in 2.8s—a true motorsport oddity.
Located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Yas Marina Circuit stretches across Yas Island on the Persian Gulf and is one of the most modern circuits in the world, sitting next to a marina, luxury hotels and theme parks. This challenging layout features a carefully constructed mix of long straights and low speed technical sections and has already played home to a number of famous racing moments. It is also known for being one of the only tracks to hold twilight races which run through the evening.
Named to celebrate the life and achievements of late Canadian F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve, the historic Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was opened in the city of Montreal in Quebec, Canada in 1979. The layout features many consecutive corners twisting left and right where drivers will need to choose the correct line and get into a rhythm. The final chicane is an infamously difficult section that exits at the Wall of Champions, so called as 3 champions crashed into the wall at the 1999 F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
Dunlop Tires
Originally founded in the UK and now operating from Japan, Dunlop Tires have been added. After the update, tires featured in the Tuning Shop and default tires on special cars will feature Dunlop designs. (Excluding certain vehicles)
World Map / ‘Power Pack’ Pavilion
The Power Pack pavilion has been added to the World Map. The sailboat icon will appear at the bottom right of the map after completing Menu Book No. 9: Championship: Tokyo Highway Parade. The Power Pack is a paid DLC for PS5 only that aims to deliver a realistic racing experience, featuring 50 races across 20 categories all presented as full track sessions with practice, qualifying and the race.
Collector Level
The Collector Level cap has been raised from 50 to 70. For levels gained above 50, players will be rewarded with unlimited invitations for use in Brand Central.
World Circuits
The following new events have been added to World Circuits:
European Sunday Cup 400: Goodwood Motor Circuit
Japanese FF Challenge: Blue Moon Bay Speedway – Infield A
Nissan GT-R Cup: Circuit Gilles – Villeneuve
Ferrari Circuit Challenge: Yas Marina Circuit
World Touring Car 800: Yas Marina Circuit
Super Formula: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Gr.1 Prototype Series: Yas Marina Circuit
Weekly Challenges
Mission Challenge and Time Trial events have been added to the Weekly Challenges that unlock after viewing the ending. Alongside Special Race, these events will be available for limited time period.
Data Logger
The new Data Logger feature has been added. This feature is available in non-racing modes like Time Trial, Licenses and Circuit Experience. Players will be able to load data from the previous attempt or from replays to view and compare data such as racing lines, throttle and brake inputs, speed, and engine RPM all in real-time.
Café / Seasonal Menu
The Seasonal Menu has been added to the Café as new post-ending content. Collect different cars each season to unlock extra rewards.
Café / Extra Menus
The following new menus have been added to Extra Menus.
Extra Menu No. 48: Alfa Romeo Legends（Collector Level 70)
Extra Menu No. 49: Legendary Road Racers（Collector Level 66 and above)
Extra Menu No. 50: Audi TT（Collector Level 52 and above)
Extra Menu No. 51: Mazda（Collector Level 57 and above)
Scapes
The following locations have been added as featured Curations in Scapes.
Yas Marina Circuit
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Tuning Shop
Additional Light Location
In Additional Light Location, extra lighting has been added to create brighter, more beautiful photos in situations where the car can appear too dark, like with strong backlighting.
New paid Power Pack DLC
On December 4, the highly anticipated Gran Turismo Power Pack DLC arrives on PlayStation 5 version of Gran Turismo 7 as a paid Add-On ($29.99 USD), delivering a brand-new game mode based around the theme of real racing and comes bundled with 5,000,000 in-game Credits.***
The Power Pack represents a new challenge in Gran Turismo, offering a new format in pursuit of the true racing experience.
The new game mode offers a variety of motorsports challenges, including full racing weekend formats FROM practice to qualifying to the main race, as well as 50 new events across 20 themed categories, including the 24-hour races, all inspired by global automotive and motorsport traditions. AI Agent Gran Turismo Sophy 3.0 is used exclusively throughout all the races for more realistic tail-to-nose racing action.
Upon completing the Menu Book No.9 Championship: Tokyo Highway Parade, a sailing boat will appear at the bottom left of the World Map. Clicking on this Pavillion will take you to a screen where the Power Pack can be purchased from the PS Store.
Intense, tail-to-nose battles with Gran Turismo Sophy 3.0
The Power Pack exclusively features the latest version of Gran Turismo Sophy 3.0 for the most realistic and intensive AI challenge in GT to date.
50 events over 20 categories including 24-hour races
Travel the world of racing, participating in One-Make series to full scale race days featuring Gr.1 and Gr.3 cars in 24-hour endurance challenges and unique races.
Receive special cars available in the Power Pack
Completing a race earns you Stars according to your finishing position. Collecting these Stars enables you to purchase various bonuses, including six unique cars specifically tuned by Gran Turismo. The more stars you earn, the more cars you can add to your collection.
*Internet connection required for update. **Credits (paid or via game progression) required to purchase vehicles. *** Update 1.65 required. Menu Book No.9 is required to access Power Pack features.
The CEO of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has responded to fan concern about the choice of Justin Lin as the director of the Helldivers movie, after it emerged he leaned into not being a gamer for his pitch.
Helldivers 2 is an explosive co-op focused action shooter that’s a lot like a video game version of cult sci-fi classic Starship Troopers. You play as a disposable soldier in an ongoing galactic war, defending a fascist Super Earth regime against alien robots called Automatons and bugs called Terminids, all the while preaching “Managed Democracy.” (Incidentally, Sony is also working on a new Starship Troopers movie, which should make for a somewhat bizarre one-two punch of sci-fi satire.)
This week, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Justin Lin is set to direct the upcoming Helldivers live-action film adaptation. Lin is best known for his work on the Fast & Furious films, and was the director of the series from 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift to 2013’s Fast & Furious 6. He also directed 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, the final film in the modern Star Trek trilogy, and 2021’s F9.
But it was one paragraph in THR’s story that raised eyebrows within the Helldivers community:
Lin is not a gamer and leaned into that as a strength when pitching his take on the material, said insiders. He aims to find the humanity in the characters and weave timely themes into the story, while building out a world and mythology. There are plenty of details waiting to be drawn in, something that is compelling to the filmmaker.
Some fans are now worried that Lin simply won’t get what Helldivers is about because he’s not a gamer and, presumably, hasn’t played Arrowhead’s shooter. And because of that, some players believe, the Helldivers movie is at risk of missing the video game’s vibe.
Over on the official Helldivers Discord, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani briefly addressed this concern. He first responded to one fan who asked if they could direct the Helldivers movie instead of Lin, saying: “let Justin Lin work his magic.”
Jorjani then responded to the following question from a fan:
“If you guys have any sway with Sony over the movie can you make sure the director plays the game at least once or at least sees some gameplay?”
Jorjani replied: “I trust Justin. He did a great job on the Star Trek movie.”
Arrowhead will likely face this sort of concern until fans see the Helldivers movie in trailer form, or hear from Lin himself on his vision for the film. And Helldivers is not alone in this approach. Amazon’s adaptation of God of War is helmed by Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore, who isn’t a gamer either.
But it is in contrast to the situation with the Elden Ring movie, which is being directed by Ex Machina and Civil War director and self-confessed Elden Ring superfan Alex Garland. In June, Garland told IGN he was on his seventh playthrough of FromSoftware’s epic fantasy RPG, and revealed the boss he found the toughest to take down.
“We are not Hollywood people, and we don’t know what it takes to make a movie,” Pilestedt said. “And therefore we don’t, and shouldn’t, have final say.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
New gameplay footage of Resident Evil Requiem has teased a glimpse at a fresh area in the game filled with classic zombies — and it all looks very Resident Evil 1.
The snippet comes from a special Resident Evil program that aired recently on Japanese TV, shared online by long-time Capcom leaker DuskGolem. Within the footage, we can see Requiem’s lead character Grace Ashcroft approaching a staircase in a dimly-lit mansion, and taking aim at a shuffling zombie.
Ashcroft’s shots miss, and the zombie lunges forward to grab the character. It looks like the undead enemy manages to gnaw her arm, before she eventually fights it off — only to find another zombie waiting for her down the corridor.
There was some new Resident Evil Requiem gameplay of a new area with Grace fighting a zombie in the Resident Evil special program that aired on Japanese television. pic.twitter.com/FToPeqi4HW
— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) December 3, 2025
It’s only a short clip, but fans are celebrating the classic Resident Evil vibe it gives off, and the setting for this gameplay segment which looks straight out of the Spencer Mansion. (It’s definitely not, but still.)
Capcom has specifically pitched Resident Evil Requiem as a return not just to the classic location of Raccoon City, but also to the series’ “overarching narrative” begun 30 years ago, after more recent games such as Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village focused on events set elsewhere, with fewer connections to past titles.
What has Capcom got in store? Time is beginning to run short for Capcom to reveal much more, as Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
