Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Patch 1.2.3 Released, Nerfs Maelle's Stendahl Build

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive has launched Patch 1.2.3 for its acclaimed role-playing game, now available across all platforms.

This update brings a wide array of fixes and, more importantly, crucial balance adjustments—most notably, the nerfing of what was arguably the game’s most dominant build (patch notes below).

Sandfall had previously indicated that major balance changes weren’t initially planned so early in the post-launch phase—focusing instead on bug fixes—unless something truly broke the meta.

“Well, Stendhal did,” the developer admitted.

The infamous build centered around young fencer Maelle and the sword Medalum, which unlocks the Virtuose Stance, granting 200% bonus damage. Players discovered they could stack this with specific abilities and the Stendhal skill—an ultra-powerful single-target Void attack—dealing billions of damage and defeating the final boss in a single hit.

“It was underwhelming for most of development, so during our final pre-release balance pass, we gave it a big damage boost—and clearly overdid it. It ended up overshadowing most other options,” Sandfall explained.

“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.”

The nerf is part of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's first comprehensive hotfix set. While Stendhal remains a potent and synergistic single-hit skill, it now aligns more closely with the rest of the game’s mechanics.

Additionally, the patch addresses a bug where Medalum’s third Lumina was doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance, rather than only Burn damage as intended.

Here are the key highlights from today’s patch notes:

• Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance instead of doubling only Burn damage.
• Stendhal: Reduced damage by 40%.

Maelle Outfits and Haircuts – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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Clair Obscur has emerged as a breakout success for Sandfall, surpassing 2 million copies sold. Considering it launched alongside Bethesda’s Oblivion Remastered as a Game Pass title, this milestone is even more remarkable.

When Bethesda surprise-released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on the same day as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, many assumed one would eclipse the other. Fortunately, both games found their audiences and thrived.

The impressive reception of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 even caught the attention of French President Macron, who publicly praised the development team.

For those preparing to dive into the world of Clair Obscur, be sure to [ttpp] for essential tips before your expedition begins.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Update 1.2.3 Patch Notes

Steam Deck

• Fixed backgrounds of various menus not displaying properly on the Steam Deck.

Various Ultrawide Fixes

• Gameplay no longer zooms in after cutscenes occur in ultrawide resolutions.
• The Options menu image will no longer stretch in ultrawide resolutions.
• Combat UI now adapts correctly to ultrawide resolutions.
• The game will no longer minimize when changing settings in ultrawide resolution.
• Cutscenes won’t letterbox in 32:9 aspect ratio.
• Title screen now displays fullscreen when the game is launched in ultrawide resolution.

Mouse and Keyboard

• UI button prompts in the Expedition Menu are now visible and fully functional with keyboard input.
• Mouse buttons do not become unresponsive after initial use.
• With the mouse cursor visible, using 'WSAD' or directional arrows to navigate UI or trigger actions will no longer hide the cursor unintentionally.
• Left mouse-button click will no longer block keyboard navigation in menus.
• Mouse input is retained after the first Jump counterattack if pressed only once.

World Map Navigation Fixes

• Fixed areas where players could get stuck:
  • Between lanterns near Stone Wave Cliff portal.
  • On shipwrecks near Forgotten Battlefield entrance.
  • Near Bourgeon encounter next to Stone Wave Cliffs.
  • Between small rocks in Spring Meadows and Abbest Cave.
  • Between vases and corals when jumping from rooftops.
  • Between various rocks throughout the map.
  • In ruins behind Flying Manor level entrance.
  • Near the bridge between Flying Waters and Spring Meadows.
  • On world map rocks near Flying Waters.
  • Near hardened terrain close to Flying Waters exit.

Esquie Pathing Fixes

• Fixed instances where Esquie would get stuck:
  • Taking off from paint bridges, causing him to fall through.
  • Flying into lower parts of levitating structures near Visages.
  • Near Flying Waters entrance.
  • Near a giant hammer close to Blades' Graveyard level.

Weapon and Skill Adjustments

• Fixed Lithelim attribute scaling at high levels. Reduced initial Vitality scaling from A to C (still reaches S at max level). Added Luck scaling starting at D.
• Fixed Blizzon attribute scaling at high levels. Reduced initial Luck scaling from B to C (still reaches S at max level). Added Defense scaling starting at D.
• Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance instead of only Burn damage.
• Stendhal: Damage reduced by 40%.

Other Fixes

• Boss encounter in Stone Wave Cliffs can now be completed in NG+.
• Journal UI window no longer blocks progression after opening the first journal in Spring Meadows.
• Fixed inability to shoot in free aim while exploring levels due to worn triggers.
• Lune and Monoco no longer spawn in the same location during Level 6 relationship quest endings if completed without returning to camp.
• If selecting “remember the objective” at camp, then quickly choosing "go to sleep" and pressing "leave", the screen no longer turns black.
• You can no longer re-trigger the "Discovering the truth" cutscene in Old Lumière consecutively, preventing permanent party split with only Verso and Maelle.
• Updated rolling credits.