Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to captivate players with its intense and visually striking battles. Still, even those who built the game have struggled to overcome its most formidable challenge. The studio recently revealed that one of its toughest bosses, Simon, remains undefeated by even its own developers.
In a recent interview, Sandfall Interactive’s COO and producer, François Meurisse, discussed the game’s difficulty curve and teased a major free update expected to arrive in the coming months. “There should be some pretty difficult battles as well in the upcoming content,” Meurisse said, hinting that players should prepare for even more demanding encounters ahead.
A test of endurance and skill
From the graceful Dualliste to the haunting Sirene, Expedition 33 is filled with boss fights that combine challenge and spectacle. Yet the developers admit that not all of them have managed to best every battle they created. “Simon is supposed to be the hardest,” Meurisse acknowledged. “I haven’t completed it yet. I have to get some mental load off to take some time, really, to beat it for good.”
Simon, one of the game’s optional bosses, can be encountered in Act 3 at the Renoir’s Drafts location. A tragic figure from protagonist Verso’s past, Simon was once a friend before being manipulated by the Dessendre family and ultimately trapped in the Abyss. While players can technically face him as soon as Act 3 begins, doing so requires a highly levelled — if not maxed out — party to stand a real chance.
According to Meurisse, he encouraged the creative director and CEO, Guillaume Broche, to push the limits of difficulty. “Okay, whatever. You can go as hard as you want,” he recalled telling him. However, chief technology officer and lead programmer Tom Guillermin admitted that the battle may have been slightly toned down. “It might have been toned down just a little,” he said, explaining that this adjustment helped keep Broche and the design team “slightly in check.”
From overpowering builds to refined balance
When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was first released, some fans questioned whether Simon’s fight was too easy after several players shared clips of defeating him in a single turn. “At first, we wondered if the Simon fight was a bit disappointing,” Meurisse said, referring to early feedback from social media and YouTube.
This was partly due to the powerful Maelle builds available at launch, which allowed players to overpower enemies with relative ease. Subsequent updates have since balanced the gameplay, reducing some of Maelle’s excessive strength while keeping her a powerful ally in combat.
Despite these adjustments, Meurisse revealed that Broche “tried to create one of the hardest bosses ever.” Many players who have faced Simon agree that he succeeded, describing the encounter as both punishing and rewarding.
Balancing accessibility and challenge
While Expedition 33 offers considerable difficulty, Sandfall Interactive remains committed to making the game enjoyable for all types of players. “It was important to Guillaume to have a game that could be accessible also to many players,” Meurisse explained. However, the team also wanted to appeal to those who crave intense challenges. “Some more hardcore players could find some challenge and some joy in it as well,” he added.
The upcoming major update promises even more thrilling encounters, suggesting that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will continue to test players’ limits. For now, Simon remains undefeated by some of the very people who brought him to life — a testament to how punishingly well-designed he is.
