France Plans an International Video Game Festival After Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Global Success

France is planning an international video game festival, President Emmanuel Macron announced on September 7, 2026, during the Lumiere Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The proposal would give games a more visible place in France’s cultural identity after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brought new attention to French development, but it is not limited to Sandfall Interactive or one title.

Macron shared the plan during the Lumiere Summit, whose focus is the moving-image world. He placed video games alongside cinema, television, animation, and other creative work, arguing that they should be treated as part of France’s cultural heritage rather than viewed only as an industry. The proposal connects that cultural recognition to the international success of games made in France.

Parce que les jeux vidéo font partie de notre culture, nous allons créer un festival international du jeu vidéo. pic.twitter.com/45g7UYfOzk

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 7, 2026

France has not defined the event yet

For now, the festival is an announcement rather than a scheduled event. France has not given it an official name, date, program, schedule, lineup, or venue, and the organizations that might participate remain unknown.

Macron described the planned festival as an international gathering centered on creativity, innovation, gamers, and the game industry. That suggests a broader remit than a standard game showcase, although France has not explained how the event would work for the public or how it would support the country’s development scene.

France already has Paris Games Week, but Macron has not explained how the proposed international gathering would differ from that existing show. The next details will need to establish what the event is for and how it fits alongside the country’s current gaming calendar.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the clearest recent example of why French games have entered this conversation. Sandfall Interactive’s RPG won nine awards at The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year, in a run documented in our coverage of its nine-award haul. Macron’s proposal could give other French studios a similar international stage, although the festival itself remains without a schedule or venue.

Macron’s announcement does not change the availability or development plans for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Its role here is as proof that a French-made game can reach a broad audience, while the proposed festival could give future projects a place to find that audience.

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