According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which had dominated major 2025 award shows including The Game Awards 2025 and the Indie Game Awards 2025, was stripped of its Indie Game Award title. The organizers ruled the game ineligible due to its use of generative AI assets, despite the developer’s initial claims to the contrary. The jury disqualified it from final consideration because the competition enforces a strict, zero-tolerance ban on any AI use during development, no matter how minor. Following the disqualification, publisher Raw Fury publicly confirmed that the new winner, Blue Prince, used no generative AI tools at any stage, keeping it fully compliant. This confirmation cleared the way for Blue Prince to officially receive the 2025 Indie Game Award.
The Awards’ New Hard Line
Here’s the thing: this isn’t really about the quality of the games. By all accounts, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fantastic title that many still consider a top indie release of the year. But the Indie Game Awards made a crystal-clear statement. Their rule is absolute. It doesn’t matter if the AI-generated content is a barely noticeable texture or a background prop. If you used it, you’re out.
That’s a pretty stark position. And it puts developers in a tough spot. AI tools are becoming more common and accessible by the day, offering potential shortcuts for small teams with limited resources. Do you use them to speed up asset creation and stay competitive, knowing it might lock you out of certain accolades? Or do you avoid them entirely to keep your award eligibility pristine? It’s a new kind of strategic decision that indie studios now have to weigh.
The Bigger Question for Players
This case really just kicks the can down the road, though. The big, looming question is: how will players themselves react? Award shows can set rules, but the court of public opinion is a lot messier.
If a game is brilliant and fun, will most players even care if some environmental art was AI-assisted? Probably not. But what about AI-written dialogue or AI-generated voice acting? The line gets fuzzier and more emotional. This ruling sets a precedent for institutions, but the industry is barreling toward a future where some AI use is standard. Defining what’s acceptable—and to whom—is going to be the real debate. Basically, awards can have their rules, but the market will ultimately have its say.
