Former PlayStation Exec Shuhei Yoshida Advised Sandfall Interactive to Avoid 'Turn-Based RPG' Label for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida advised the creators of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 not to market the game explicitly as a turn-based RPG during promotional efforts. Speaking to indie developers at the Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 in South Korea, Yoshida shared his perspective on how publishers can perceive certain subgenres or mechanics as potentially niche or outdated, according to a report by Automaton via 4Gamer.

While Yoshida was impressed by the gameplay of Sandfall Interactive's debut project, he cautioned against using the traditional label. "It's incredibly well-made, but it would be better not to call it a turn-based RPG. That alone might cause players to overlook it," Yoshida advised the developers. To achieve a wider appeal, the team described its combat mechanics around reactive, turn-based battles rather than leading with the traditional RPG classification.

Although turn-based mechanics have maintained a steady presence, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has successfully demonstrated that titles utilizing these systems can reach major sales milestones and achieve mainstream popularity. The game's success has helped pave the way for other developers to pitch similar concepts to publishers with confidence.