Why Did the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Leave?
Guillaume Broche, the game director who made a big splash with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has clearly explained why he left Ubisoft. The successful developer emphasized that it is almost impossible to move forward with a new and original idea within a large studio, and said that this process can take 25 years. Broche’s statements draw attention to the structural problems experienced in the AAA gaming world.
He Charted His Own Path for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Guillaume Broche had a long career before leaving Ubisoft. Broche, who took on different roles before and after his position in 2014, took part in various major projects. However, according to his own statement, despite all this experience, he could never reach the necessary sphere of influence to bring the game he dreamed of to life.
Broche stated that the idea approval processes and hierarchy within the studio made new IPs and original stories almost impossible. For this reason, he left Ubisoft in 2020 and founded Sandfall Interactive. His goal was to produce a game completely according to his own vision without the restrictions of large companies.
Broche, who explained that he developed the idea for Expedition 33 while working at Ubisoft, said that he might have to reach the highest levels in the company to present this project. According to him, it would take 25 years to launch such a game in a AAA studio. For this reason, he established his own studio and went directly to production and took full control of the creative process.
Thanks to this decision, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which reached one million sales in just three days and became one of the highest-rated games of all time, emerged. Broche showed the gaming world that quality work can be done with a small team and a limited budget. This exit also serves as a strong message against the high pricing policies implemented by AAA studios.
