Discover how Maelle's nuke build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can unleash over 2 billion damage, and learn about Sandfall Interactive's response to this game-breaking strategy.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates
Stendhal Hurts, A Lot
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to captivate players with new discoveries, including a mind-boggling 2 billion damage output achieved by the character Maelle.
After completing the main storyline, players delve into the endgame, which is rich with additional narrative elements and formidable bosses. These endgame encounters can be daunting, with bosses sporting massive health pools and some capable of one-hit kills. In response, players have devised a nuke build strategy. Be aware, this discussion might contain minor spoilers.
Maelle's skill, Stendhal, delivers significant damage, which can be amplified by 200% in her Virtuose stance. To execute her nuke build, Maelle requires two specific Luminas, unlocked through Pictos—equipable items with various effects. The essential Luminas are Cheater, granting an additional turn, and Shortcut, providing another turn when Maelle's health drops below 30%.
Additionally, Maelle needs her weapon, the Medalum, to start battles in Virtuose stance, and the Last Stand skill, which activates Virtuose stance and reduces her to one hit point.
Maelle should also equip at least three of the following skills to enhance her damage output: Painted Power to exceed 9,999 damage, Death’s Door for a 50% damage boost at low health, Confident Fighter for an additional 30% damage but with no healing capability, Inverted Affinity for a 50% boost with healing causing damage, and other percentage-based damage increases.
With the right combination of Pictos and Luminas, Maelle can achieve over 2 billion damage. To put this into perspective, the endgame boss Simon has roughly 45 million HP—Maelle’s nuke strategy could theoretically defeat him 48 times over, highlighting the build's sheer overkill.
Players continue to experiment with different strategies and characters to push damage limits, driven by the game's challenging post-game content.
Stendhal Getting Nerfed
Sandfall Interactive recognized that Stendhal was making the game too easy. In a May 8 X post, the studio announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle’s skill. Initially, balance changes were not on the agenda so early in the game's lifecycle, only bug fixes.
However, the overwhelming damage from Stendhal prompted a reevaluation. Sandfall admitted that Stendhal was underpowered during development, but a last-minute boost before release went too far.
"We still want you to be able to break the game—and you absolutely still can—but Stendhal was making it a bit too easy," Sandfall Interactive stated. The Stendhal adjustments will be part of the first comprehensive hotfix, rolling out today on Steam and soon on other platforms.
2 Million Copies in 12 Days
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues its impressive run, selling 2 million copies in just 12 days post-launch, as announced in a May 6 X post.
French President Emmanuel Macron personally congratulated Sandfall Interactive on Instagram for their success and for showcasing French culture. He remarked, "Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all the creators of Expedition 33. You are a shining example of French audacity and creativity."
With ongoing updates and potential DLC on the horizon, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a strong contender for this year’s Game of the Year. The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news by clicking the link below!
