The 68th Annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday night, and there were a few tips of the hat to music from video games. Most notably, Sword of the Sea, winner of the Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media. For some, however, Sword of the Sea's win serves as a reminder that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn't receive a nomination.
Expedition 33 has been praised for many things, including its incredible soundtrack director. That's why its omission from the video game category at the Grammy Awards was somewhat surprising. What really rubbed Clair's fans the wrong way was the inclusion of games like Helldivers 2 and Star Wars Outlaws, neither of which were released during the awards' qualifying period.
Sword of the Seas Grammy win reminds Expedition 33 fans of what they could have won
Now that this year's Grammy Awards have come and gone, and Sword of the Sea has won the award for Best Video Game OST, it's opened up some old wounds. The Game Awards Twitter account celebrated Sword of Sea's win by sharing the indie game's achievement on Twitter. Unfortunately, the responses to that post have devolved into an unhealthy mix of upset Clair fans and people who think Expedition 33 has already gotten more than enough attention.
Many of the responses come from those who believe Expedition 33 should have at least been nominated, and while you might have thought they would have moved on by now, they have a point. Expedition 33's soundtrack isn't just something a die-hard gamer would be interested in, like Sonic 2's OST (just me?). The entire game is filled with incredible music that perfectly fits the mood of the game every step of the way.
Ghost Of Yotei gives Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a run for its money at the One Award Show
Ghost of Yotei has as many nominations as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at the DICE Awards.
Hasn't Expedition 33 won enough?
But those telling Clair's fans to shut up also have a point. Expedition 33 has been celebrated, arguably more than any other game in history. It has won more Game of the Year awards than any game ever, breaking Elden Ring's seemingly unassailable record of 435. Sword of the Sea, on the other hand, has won none. A crying shame, because even if it's only a few hours long, it's a very good game.
With a great soundtrack to boot, for what it's worth.
I guess the difference here is that a Grammy Award is something completely different than the 469 (yes, 469) GOTY awards Expedition 33 has won so far. It's not just an award specific to the game's music, but it's a Grammy. An awards ceremony that, like it or not, carries more weight and mainstream recognition than any gaming award Clair could ever win. It would have potentially exposed the game to even more casual and non-gamers. That said, being snubbed by the Grammys won't hurt Expedition 33's success.


- Released
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August 19, 2025
- ESRB
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All 10+ / Fantasy Violence
- Developer
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Giant squid
- Publisher
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Giant squid
- Number of players
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Single player

