"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Publisher Praises Oblivion Remastered for Boosting RPG Visibility"

When Bethesda shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered during the launch of the fellow role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, many assumed there could only be one winner. However, Kepler Interactive, the publisher of Clair Obscur, claims that not only did Oblivion not harm Clair Obscur, but it actually benefited from Oblivion's release by boosting excitement for the RPG genre.

Kepler Interactive’s senior portfolio manager, Matt Handrahan, shared insights with The Game Business on how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved launch success despite the competition.

To set the stage, RPG fans were faced with a challenging decision: dive into hundreds of hours in Oblivion's Cyrodiil or embark on an expedition to defeat the Paintress in Clair Obscur. The simultaneous launch of these two games sparked a mix of joy and frustration among fans, prompting a witty response from Kepler Interactive on social media.

In an X/Twitter post, Kepler shared an edited image of Clair Obscur characters entering an Oblivion Gate, captioned "omg its like barbenheimer," humorously referencing the concurrent releases of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer in theaters in 2023.

omg its like barbenheimer pic.twitter.com/TN1AFzdggc

— Kepler Interactive (@Kepler_Interact) April 22, 2025

Microsoft, which owns Bethesda and had heavily promoted Clair Obscur since its reveal at an Xbox Showcase the previous year, faced criticism for shadow-dropping Oblivion on the same day as Clair Obscur, with both titles available on Game Pass from day one.

However, Handrahan reassured that there was no cause for concern. "We always knew that Expedition 33 had a very specific identity," he stated. "In my time in the press, I saw Western-style RPGs and Japanese-style RPGs as having distinct appeals and audiences. Many people who play Elder Scrolls games wouldn't necessarily play Final Fantasy and vice versa.

"By the time we launched, we had built our own momentum, and we were confident in standing alongside Oblivion. Factors like our pricing strategy and inclusion in Game Pass ensured strong interest in our game. We felt confident, and the launch went as well as we could have hoped. In fact, being released alongside Oblivion didn't hurt us at all; it actually drew more attention to quality RPGs that week, sparking conversations about the genre."

Bethesda announced that Oblivion Remastered has attracted over 4 million players since its launch, though specific sales figures remain undisclosed. It, too, has seen substantial concurrent player numbers on Steam.

Data from Ampere, cited by The Game Business, indicates that 35% of Clair Obscur players also played Oblivion Remastered, showing significant overlap, largely due to both games being available on Game Pass. This overlap percentage decreased for players on Steam and PlayStation 5.

Our comprehensive guide to Oblivion Remastered includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, advice on How to Build the Perfect Character, a list of Things to Do First, all PC Cheat Codes, and more.

For those diving into Clair Obscur, don't miss our tips on important things to know before you start playing.