‘The Most Important Thing Is To Delete Things’ Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Devs Share a Hard Truth About Better Games
As modern video games continue to expand in scale, scope, and sheer content volume, the industry is increasingly questioning whether bigger truly means better. With many contemporary titles pushing beyond the 100 hour mark, content saturation has become a real risk, often diluting pacing, focus, and overall polish. Developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 believe the solution is counterintuitive but essential cut more, not less.
During an interview with GamesRadar+ at The Game Awards, Soulframe Liang, director of Phantom Blade Zero, shared insight gained from conversations with developers at Sandfall Interactive. Their advice was clear, unexpected, and brutally honest.
According to Liang, Sandfall Interactive emphasized that during the final nine months of development, the most important task was deleting content. Entire features, systems, and ideas were removed so the remaining experience could receive maximum polish and refinement. The advice stood in stark contrast to the common expectation that developers should continuously add more content as release approaches.
While the idea of removing content late in development may sound risky, it aligns closely with the design ethos visible in Clair Obscur Expedition 33 itself. The title, widely recognized as Game of the Year 2025, demonstrates how restraint can elevate quality. Certain areas in the game feel intentionally sparse, signaling that content was scaled back rather than overstretched. Importantly, this restraint does not harm the experience. Instead, it sharpens pacing, enhances atmosphere, and ensures that every remaining system feels deliberate and meaningful.
Rather than overwhelming players with endless activities or bloated side content, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 focuses on cohesion, tone, and mechanical clarity. The result is an experience that feels tightly authored and consistently engaging, reinforcing the idea that subtraction can be as powerful as addition in game design.
Whether S Game will fully adopt Sandfall Interactive’s advice remains to be seen, especially with Phantom Blade Zero still months away from launch. However, early signs suggest the studio already understands the value of refinement. The improvement between the Gamescom 2024 demo and the Gamescom 2025 build was immediately noticeable, showcasing sharper combat flow, cleaner presentation, and stronger overall direction.
If the guidance from Sandfall Interactive reinforces a development path S Game is already following, Phantom Blade Zero may benefit significantly. A more contained and polished experience could allow the title to stand out in a crowded action RPG landscape, much like Clair Obscur Expedition 33 did this year.
In an industry often driven by feature lists and playtime metrics, the reminder that deleting content can lead to better games feels both timely and necessary.
Do you believe modern games would benefit from being shorter and more focused, or do you still prefer massive content heavy experiences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
