Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has revealed that he advised the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to avoid marketing the game as a "turn-based RPG." Yoshida believed that the term, particularly in relation to JRPGs, had become unpopular in recent years and could lead players to overlook otherwise impressive titles.
During a lecture at the Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, Yoshida recounted his positive impressions of a Clair Obscur demo, noting its similarities to The Legend of Dragoon, a game he produced. However, he recommended that the development team at Sandfall Interactive find alternative descriptors for the game's combat system. He stated, "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."
Sandfall Interactive adopted this advice, opting to describe Clair Obscur's combat as "reactive turn-based battles." While the direct impact of this marketing choice on the game's success is difficult to quantify, it is suggested that it did not hinder its reception. The game's combat, even beyond the genre label, offers a more active experience than typical turn-based encounters, requiring players to time dodges and parries akin to soulslike games rather than allowing for passive engagement between turns.
Clair Obscur's success is seen by some as a resurgence for turn-based games, with the title selling 3.3 million copies in its first month and surpassing eight million copies by April. Yoshida highlighted Clair Obscur as an example of how chasing industry trends may not always be the optimal strategy. He also observed that following Clair Obscur's significant success, publishers have noted an increase in turn-based game pitches.