Expedition 33 devs resolve dispute with comic book author

Recently, French author Olivier Gay claimed the developer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive, ordered him to stop selling his recently published and similarly named graphic novel, L’Académie Clair-Obscur. Sandfall publicly responded with a brief note on Monday, saying it was “in contact with the publisher and Olivier to find a fair solution for everyone.” Well, now it looks like all parties have landed on that fair solution.

In a message posted on X on Tuesday, Sandfall apologized for “dragging our feet” in speaking about the “complex” situation.

“Sandfall was working to withdraw the requests from our legal representative, which has now been done. Their role is to protect us in particular against counterfeit products, but the action initiated toward the comic book ‘L’Académie Clair-Obscur’ published in January 2026 does not align with us,” the developer said (via machine translation). It continued by saying Sandfall “always wanted to support artists and encourage creativity,” and wrapped by wishing Gay and the book’s artist Grelin success.

What specifically prompted Sandfall’s legal representatives to contact Gay has not been stated. While the plot of Gay’s comic doesn’t share any similarities with the Expedition 33 game (it’s about students at a magic school), obviously the book has the same phrase from art history, Clair Obscur, in its title. X users also pointed out the typography of L’Académie Clair-Obscur is similar to that used for the game.

Shortly after Sandfall posted to X, Gay also shared a message on the platform thanking Sandfall “for withdrawing their approach.” He noted the comic will “be able to continue its life,” presumably meaning he and publisher Drakoo will be able to continue selling it sans alterations or a new title.

“I won’t hide from you that this is a huge relief for me, and a super move on the studio’s part,” Gay continued. He capped off his message with a line that anyone who played the game will recognize: “For those who come after!”