Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Patch 1.2.3 Is a Big One, Nerfs Maelle's Game-Breaking Stendahl Build

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive has launched Patch 1.2.3 for its acclaimed role-playing game, now available on all platforms. This update introduces a wide range of fixes and essential balance adjustments, most notably the nerfing of the game's most dominant build (details below).

Sandfall had previously stated that early updates would focus on bug fixes rather than balance changes—unless something particularly problematic emerged.

“Well, Stendhal did,” the team noted.

The infamous build centered around Maelle, the young fencer, and the sword Medalum, which enables the powerful Virtuose Stance—granting a 200% damage boost. Players combined this with ability stacking and the Stendhal skill, unleashing absurd amounts of single-target Void damage. The result? Billions of damage in one hit—enough to instantly defeat the final boss.

“It was underwhelming throughout development, so during our final pre-release balance pass, we gave it a significant damage boost—and clearly overdid it. It ended up overshadowing nearly every other option,” Sandfall explained.

“We still want players to be able to break the game—and you absolutely still can—but Stendhal made it just a little too easy.”

This adjustment is part of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s first major hotfix batch. While Stendhal remains a strong, synergistic single-hit skill, its power level is now more consistent with the rest of the game.

Additionally, the patch resolves a bug where Medalum’s third Lumina effect was doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance, instead of only Burn damage as intended.

Key highlights from today’s patch notes include:

• Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance; now correctly doubles Burn damage only.
• Stendhal: Damage reduced by 40%.

Maelle Outfits and Haircuts - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

View 28 Images

Clair Obscur has become a breakout success for Sandfall Interactive, surpassing 2 million copies sold shortly after launch. Considering it launched alongside Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered as a day-one Game Pass title, this milestone is even more impressive.

When Bethesda quietly released Oblivion Remastered at the same time as *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, many assumed only one could dominate. Fortunately, both titles have found their audience and thrived independently.

Thanks to its overwhelming reception, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* has even received praise from French President Emmanuel Macron, who highlighted the achievement of the development team.

For newcomers, we recommend reviewing our essential tips before diving into the game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Update 1.2.3 Patch Notes

Steam Deck Improvements

• Fixed background display issues across various menus on Steam Deck.

Ultrawide Resolution Fixes

• Gameplay no longer zooms unexpectedly after cutscenes.
• Options menu image no longer stretches in ultrawide resolutions.
• Combat UI now adapts properly to ultrawide screens.
• Game window won’t minimize when changing settings in ultrawide mode.
• Cutscenes no longer letterbox in 32:9 aspect ratio.
• Title screen now displays correctly in fullscreen on ultrawide setups.

Mouse and Keyboard Enhancements

• Expedition Menu button prompts are now fully visible and operable via keyboard.
• Mouse buttons remain responsive after repeated use.
• On-screen mouse cursor no longer hides when using 'WSAD' or arrow keys for navigation.
• Left mouse click no longer blocks keyboard input in menus.
• Mouse input is retained after the first jump counterattack if pressed once.

World Map Collision Fixes

• Resolved stuck spots:
  • Between lanterns near Stone Wave Cliff portal.
  • On shipwrecks close to Forgotten Battlefield.
  • Near Bourgeon encounter next to Stone Wave Cliffs.
  • Between small rocks linking Spring Meadows and Abbest Cave.
  • Between vases and corals on rooftops.
  • Around various rock formations.
  • Behind Flying Manor level entrance.
  • Near bridge between Flying Waters and Spring Meadows.
  • On world map rocks near Flying Waters.
  • Next to hardened terrain at Flying Waters exit.

Esquie Navigation Fixes

• Prevented situations where Esquie gets stuck:
  • Taking off from paint bridges, causing him to fall through.
  • Flying into lower parts of floating structures near Visages.
  • Near Flying Waters entrance.
  • Close to a giant hammer near Blades' Graveyard.

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 effect—now doubles Burn damage only in Virtuose Stance.
• Stendhal: Damage reduced by 40%.

Additional Fixes

• Boss fight in Stone Wave Cliffs can now be completed in New Game+.
• Journal UI no longer blocks progress after opening the first journal in Spring Meadows.
• Fixed inability to shoot in free aim while exploring due to worn triggers.
• Lune and Monoco no longer spawn in the same spot during Level 6 relationship quests if completed without visiting camp.
• Fixed black screen issue when selecting “remember the objective”, then quickly choosing “go to sleep” and “leave”.
• Prevented duplicate triggering of the "Discovering the truth" cutscene in Old Lumière, avoiding permanent party split with only Verso and Maelle remaining.
• Updated rolling credits sequence.