playstation

Shuhei Yoshida urged Clair Obscur devs to drop 'turn-based RPG' label; game sold 8M+

Former PlayStation head Shuhei Yoshida told Sandfall Interactive at the Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 not to label Clair Obscur a 'turn-based RPG' so players wouldn't overlook it. The studio instead described its combat as 'reactive turn-based battles'; the game's fights play quickly and reward timed dodges and parries similar to soulslikes. Clair Obscur sold 3.3 million copies in its first month and surpassed eight million copies by April, underlining the commercial impact of its presentation and marketing choices.

• Yoshida recommended the change during a lecture at the Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 after playing an early demo and noting similarities to The Legend of Dragoon, which he produced.
• Sandfall Interactive adopted the phrase 'reactive turn-based battles' in marketing to avoid the 'turn-based RPG' label.
• Gameplay is actively paced: players must study enemy movement and time dodges and parries rather than passively taking turns.
• Clair Obscur achieved 3.3 million sales in its launch month and exceeded eight million copies sold as of April.