Pokemon fan blends Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's combat into a stunning proof-of-concept video
A fan-made video mashing Pokemon with the turn-based combat of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has drawn hundreds of thousands of views in less than a week, offering a glimpse of what the monster-catching series might look like with a more cinematic battle system.
The clip, posted to YouTube earlier this week by creator BelmontesArt, is titled "What if Pokémon had the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 battle system?" It runs for just over a minute and shows Decidueye, Charizard and Greninja facing off against Ultra Necrozma. The animation borrows several visual and mechanical cues from Sandfall Interactive's award-winning RPG: timing-based prompts for parrying and blocking, a dynamic camera that swoops and zooms for dramatic effect, and a turn-order display fixed to the side of the screen.
Familiar Pokemon mechanics remain intact, however. Moves still register as super effective, and Charizard's X and Y Mega Evolutions are mapped to the corresponding buttons on a controller — a detail the creator described as a "chef's kiss" touch.
BelmontesArt explained in the video's description that they were inspired by how cinematic Clair Obscur's gameplay looks. "I thought it might be a cool experiment to mix it with Pokémon," they wrote. The animation was built in Blender using modified character models and sound effects taken directly from both Pokemon and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The video has racked up more than 400,000 views on YouTube in under a week and spread widely across social media platforms, signalling strong interest in the concept. While it remains unlikely that The Pokemon Company would adopt such a combat system directly, the timing is notable. A series lead developer recently hinted that the combat system for the upcoming Pokemon Winds and Waves, due sometime in 2027, "could change" following the release of Pokemon Champions.
GTA 6 appears to include a Clair Obscur reference
In a separate development, Grand Theft Auto 6 seems to contain a nod to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The reference was spotted in the game's Extended Look trailer, which was released earlier this week after years of anticipation and a wave of last-minute leaks. The nearly 30-minute deep dive showcased new gameplay mechanics, side activities and a closer look at the relationship between protagonists Jason and Lucia.
Fans quickly began analysing the trailer frame by frame. One Reddit user, Popular-Vehicle-8487, pointed out a detail in a shot showing someone using a VR headset in a private room. On the wall behind the character hangs a poster that appears to reference Clair Obscur. The poster uses a font very similar to the game's title and features artwork that resembles its cover. Most tellingly, the poster includes the words "Tenebrae Lux", which translates from Latin to "Shadow Light" — a clear parallel to the French title Clair Obscur, which means "Light Dark".
The discovery was highlighted by Twitter user videotech and has been widely discussed on the Clair Obscur subreddit. If the poster is indeed a deliberate reference, it suggests Rockstar Games is a significant admirer of the title, having incorporated the easter egg shortly after Clair Obscur's release last year.
This is not the only gaming reference found in GTA 6. Leaks have previously confirmed a pointed jab at The Last of Us and its numerous remasters. Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, developed and published by Rockstar Games. It is expected to carry a Mature 17+ rating from the ESRB and runs on the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE).
The convergence of these two stories — a fan imagining Pokemon with Clair Obscur's combat and Rockstar seemingly paying homage to the same game — underscores the impact Sandfall Interactive's title has had on the industry since its launch. Whether through fan creativity or developer tributes, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to leave its mark.