When Bethesda unexpectedly released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered during the launch week of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, many believed it would overshadow the latter. However, Kepler Interactive's senior portfolio manager, Matt Handrahan, revealed to The Game Business that not only did Oblivion not negatively impact Clair Obscur, but the simultaneous release actually enhanced the excitement around the RPG genre.

To provide context, RPG enthusiasts were torn between diving into the expansive world of Cyrodiil in Oblivion or joining the adventure against the Paintress in Clair Obscur. The concurrent launches sparked a mix of excitement and frustration among fans, and Kepler Interactive playfully acknowledged the situation with a humorous X/Twitter post. The post featured an edited image of Clair Obscur characters entering an Oblivion Gate, captioned "omg its like barbenheimer," referencing the simultaneous release of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023.

omg its like barbenheimer pic.twitter.com/TN1AFzdggc

— Kepler Interactive (@Kepler_Interact) April 22, 2025

Microsoft, which owns Bethesda and had supported Clair Obscur since its reveal at an Xbox Showcase, faced criticism for the shadow-drop of Oblivion amidst Clair Obscur's launch, especially since both titles were available on Game Pass from day one.

Handrahan emphasized that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had a distinct identity, appealing to different audiences than traditional Western RPGs like Oblivion. He noted, "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."

Moreover, Handrahan expressed confidence in Clair Obscur's momentum and its unique selling points, including its pricing and inclusion in Game Pass. He stated, "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 proven to be a major success for Kepler and its developer, Sandfall Interactive, selling over 1 million copies within just three days and achieving significant concurrent player numbers on Steam. The game's success has even earned praise from French President Macron.

Meanwhile, Oblivion Remastered has attracted over 4 million players since its release, though specific sales figures have not been disclosed. It has also seen substantial concurrent player counts on Steam.

According to data from Ampere cited by The Game Business, 35% of Clair Obscur players also engaged with Oblivion Remastered, indicating a notable overlap in player bases. This overlap is more pronounced among Game Pass users compared to those on Steam and PlayStation 5.

For those interested in Clair Obscur, be sure to check out our tips on what to know before embarking on your journey.