Sandfall Interactive announced a free Thank You Update for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at The Game Awards on December 11, 2025, and players quickly noticed a slew of affectionate references to classic JRPGs inside the new content.
The update adds a new level called “Verso’s Drafts,” a colorful area designed as a playground for new weapons and boss fights. During several encounters, short bits of on-screen text appear that echo lines fans associate with other RPGs, rather than new gameplay mechanics.
Players have pointed out textual callbacks that mirror Persona 5’s “You’ll never see it coming,” Final Fantasy 14’s “A test of your reflexes,” attributed to the villain Zenos, and Shulk’s meme-friendly “I’m really feeling it” from Xenoblade Chronicles. A fan tweet collecting some of those screenshots circulated on social media on December 12, 2025.
The Clair Obscur update seemingly contains references to Persona 5, FFXIV and Xenoblade.
Cinéma absolu.#Expedition33 pic.twitter.com/ISp1RdeMId
— Bain (@Bainonis) December 12, 2025
These references are an extension of the base game’s tendency to wink at genre touchstones. The original release already included skills and enemy attacks named “Shadow Bringer” and “Stormblood,” both titles associated with Final Fantasy 14 expansions, and the update continues that playful approach. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 arrived at the awards season with strong momentum and recently took home multiple trophies, see its nine awards at The Game Awards for more on its reception.
Expect coverage to follow if Sandfall issues further patches or developer commentary about these in-jokes.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developed by Sandfall Interactive
Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.
- Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2025-04-24
- Publisher: Kepler Interactive
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Age Rating:
ACB MA 15+ / PEGI 18 / USK 16 / CERO Z / GRAC 19+ / CLASS_IND 18 / ESRB M
- IGDB Rating: 93.1/100
