Discover how Maelle from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can unleash over 2 billion damage with her nuke build, and learn about Sandfall Interactive's response to this game-breaking skill.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates
Stendhal Hurts, A Lot
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a treasure trove of surprises as players uncover new strategies daily. One such discovery is Maelle's ability to deal up to 2 billion damage, showcasing the depth of the game's mechanics.
Once you've completed the main storyline, the endgame opens up, offering additional narratives and formidable bosses. These encounters can be intimidating, with some bosses boasting massive health pools and others capable of one-hit kills. Players have responded by crafting powerful nuke builds to tackle these challenges. Be warned, this article may contain minor spoilers.
Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is at the core of her nuke build, dealing significant damage that can be amplified to 200% in her Virtuose stance. To achieve this, Maelle requires two specific Luminas, accessible through Pictos—items that enhance various abilities.
The essential Luminas for this high-damage strategy are Cheater, which grants an extra turn, and Shortcut, which provides another turn when Maelle's health drops below 30%. Additionally, equipping Maelle with her weapon, the Medalum, allows her to start battles in Virtuose stance. The skill Last Stand is also crucial, as it activates Virtuose stance and reduces Maelle to one hit point.
To maximize Maelle's damage output, she should also equip at least three of the following skills: Painted Power, which allows damage to exceed 9,999; Death’s Door, which increases damage by 50% at low health; Confident Fighter, which boosts damage by 30% but disables healing; and Inverted Affinity, which adds another 50% damage but turns healing into damage. With these combinations, Maelle can surpass 2 billion damage, far outstripping the 45 million HP of the endgame boss, Simon.
Players continue to push the boundaries, experimenting with different characters and strategies to achieve even higher damage. Expedition 33's challenging post-game encourages players to innovate and enjoy their journey.
Stendhal Getting Nerfed
Sandfall Interactive has acknowledged that Stendhal's immense power was making the game too easy. In a recent X post on May 8, the studio announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle’s skill. Originally, they planned only to address bugs in early updates, but Stendhal's overwhelming damage prompted a rethink.
The developers admitted that Stendhal was initially underwhelming in development, but a last-minute balance adjustment before release inadvertently made it too strong. "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 changes to Stendhal will be included in the first full hotfix, rolling out today on Steam and soon on other platforms.
2 Million Copies in 12 Days
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has soared to new heights, selling over 2 million copies within just 12 days of its launch, as announced on X on May 6. This success was further celebrated when French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the team on Instagram, praising their representation of French culture and creativity. "Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all the creators of Expedition 33. You are a shining example of French audacity and creativity," he said.
With its ongoing success and updates, Expedition 33 is a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year award. The developers are committed to enhancing the game, with potential DLC on the horizon.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates and more information, click on our article below!
