Shuhei Yoshida Says He Advised Expedition 33 Devs Not to Market It as a “Turn-Based RPG” Because of JRPG Stigma at the time

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could have been marketed very differently if Shuhei Yoshida had not warned its developers about the perception surrounding turn-based RPGs. During a lecture for indie developers at Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, the former PlayStation executive recalled advising Sandfall Interactive against prominently describing the game as a turn-based RPG. Yoshida shared the story while discussing how developers should present their games to publishers and audiences. His comments, reported by 4Gamer, offer an interesting look at how genre…