When Bethesda shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered amid the launch of fellow role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, most thought there could be only one winner. But, according to the publisher of Clair Obscur, not only did Oblivion not harm Clair Obscur, Clair Obscur actually benefitted from Oblivion’s release because it boosted excitement for the RPG genre.
So says Kepler Interactive’s senior portfolio manager Matt Handrahan, who told The Game Business all about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s launch success against the odds.
First, some background. RPG fans were faced with the difficult choice between spending hundreds of hours in Oblivion’s Cyrodiil, or embarking on an expedition to take down the Paintress in Clair Obscur. The launch of the two games in the same week provoked both joyful and frustrated reactions from RPG fans, as well as a cheeky comment from Kepler Interactive itself.
In an X/Twitter post, Kepler shared an edited image of the characters from Clair Obscur walking into an Oblivion Gate, with the text “omg its like barbenheimer” in a humorous nod to the simultaneous release of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer in theatres on the same day in 2023.
omg its like barbenheimer pic.twitter.com/TN1AFzdggc
— Kepler Interactive (@Kepler_Interact) April 22, 2025
Microsoft, which owns Oblivion developer Bethesda and which had heavily backed Clair Obscur since its reveal at an Xbox Showcase last year, also came under fire for shadow-dropping Oblivion on top of Clair Obscur, with both games being Game Pass day-one titles.
But, according to Handrahan, there was nothing to worry about. “We always knew that Expedition 33 had a very specific identity,” Handrahan said. “When I was in the press, I saw the Western-style RPG and the Japanese-style RPG as having quite different appeals and audiences. I knew plenty of people that would play an Elder Scrolls game that wouldn’t necessarily play Final Fantasy and vice versa.
“Also, by the time that we rolled around, we had momentum of our own and we felt pretty confident that we could stand beside it. I think there were other aspects, like the price point we were at and the inclusion in Game Pass… so we knew we would have a lot of interest around the game. We were confident in that. And it went as well as it possibly could have done in our eyes. And, actually, proximity to Oblivion didn’t seem to harm us at all. In many ways, I think it just drew attention to quality RPGs that week and everybody was thinking and talking about the genre.”
Clair Obscur has become a big hit for Keplar and its French developer, Sandfall Interactive, selling over 1 million copies in just three days and posting impressive concurrent player numbers on Steam. It’s done so well that French President Macron has praised the development team.
Bethesda has announced Oblivion Remastered has seen over 4 million players since launch, but hasn’t announced a sales figure. It too has seen big Steam concurrent player numbers.
The Game Business quoted data from Ampere that shows 35% of Clair Obscur players also played Oblivion remastered, which means there was significant overlap. A lot of that has to do with both games launching in Game Pass, with the overlap percentage dropping for Steam and PlayStation 5 players.
We’ve got plenty more on Oblivion Remastered, including a report on a player who managed to escape the confines of Cyrodiil to explore Valenwood, Skyrim, and even Hammerfell, the rumored setting of The Elder Scrolls VI.
We’ve also got a comprehensive guide to everything you’ll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.
As for Clair Obscur, be sure to check out our tips for the important things to know before heading into the game.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
