Clair Obscur nets six Develop:Star nods

Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the leading nominees for the 2026 Develop:Star Awards after landing six shortlist places, according to the awards organizers and GamesIndustry.biz. The nominations, published Wednesday, put the role-playing game alongside Sucker Punch Entertainment’s Ghost of Yōtei at the top of this year’s field. The shortlisted categories for Clair Obscur include Best Visual Art, Best Game Design, Best Narrative and Best Game. The Develop Conference said the final winners will be announced in Brighton in July. ### Which awards did Clair Obscur make the shortlist for? Develop Conference organizers said Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was shortlisted in six categories: Best Visual Art, Best Game Design, Best Narrative, Best Audio, Best Original IP and Best Game. GamesIndustry.biz reported the same tally on Wednesday. Sucker Punch Entertainment’s Ghost of Yōtei matched that total with six nominations of its own, according to the Develop Conference shortlist. In the Best Game category, the two titles are joined by Blue Prince, Dispatch, Jurassic World Evolution 3, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and PEAK. ### Who decides the Develop:Star shortlist and winners? The Develop Conference said the 2026 shortlists were decided across 18 categories by a panel of industry experts. The event organizer said winners are then voted on by the Develop:Brighton community. Develop also introduced a new Best Ongoing Game category this year, according to the shortlist announcement. The awards are part of the broader Develop:Brighton conference program. ### Why has Clair Obscur drawn attention beyond the nominations? StudioKrew said in a case study published Tuesday that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was built by a team of about 30 developers and described it as an “8M RPG.” The same case study said the game had crossed 8 million copies sold in April 2026. Sandfall Interactive’s game has been cited in recent coverage as an example of a smaller team producing a visually ambitious role-playing game. The Develop shortlist’s inclusion of Best Visual Art, Best Game Design and Best Narrative places that recognition inside an industry awards field rather than only player or media reaction. ### What is the Develop:Star Awards event this year? The Develop Conference said the Develop:Star Awards ceremony will take place at the Brighton Dome on Wednesday, July 15. The conference website describes the awards as a celebration of games released in the previous 12 months. Develop:Brighton is held in Brighton, England, and the awards sit alongside the conference’s talks and industry programming. Tickets and tables for the ceremony are already on sale, according to the event page. ### What happens next for Clair Obscur and the rest of the field? July 15 is the next key date for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yōtei and the rest of the shortlisted games, when the Develop:Star Awards winners are due to be revealed at Brighton Dome. The full shortlist is available through the Develop Conference awards page, which lists all 2026 categories and finalists.