Expedition 33’s Maelle Stendhal nerf hits live servers along with other changes in update 1.2.3

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been such a hit with gamers since launching a few weeks ago that it's had a cultural impact in the gamer community. Aside from players logging online to share their thoughts and feelings about the story, gamers have also been attempting to "break the game" with character builds to destroy bosses with big damage numbers, none bigger than those produced by Maelle. Well, things are changing for the young fencer with a new update today. Read on below for the Expedition 33 patch notes for update 1.2.3, the game's first substantial patch since launch. Table of contents Expedition 33 patch notes: Update 1.2.3 - May 9 Weapon and skill fixes and tuning Various Ultrawide Fixes Mouse and Keyboard Fixed areas of the world map where you can get stuck Fixed situations where Esquie specifically would get stuck Other fixes Expedition 33 patch notes: Update 1.2.3 - May 9 Screenshot by Destructoid Stendhal, Maelle's game-breaking Skill, has had its damage nerfed by a whopping 40 percent. That's a lot, but Sandfall says you should still be able to "break the game" with different builds, but this specific skill was egregiously strong and making things a bit unbalanced. “We hadn’t planned to make any balance changes this early—just bug fixes, unless something clearly stood out,” Sandfall said. “Well, Stendhal did. It was underwhelming for most of development, so in our final pre-release balance pass, we gave it a big damage boost—and clearly overdid it. It ended up overshadowing most other options.” With specific builds, Maelle was able to do over two billion damage with Stendhal, erasing anything in the game in one hit. That's obviously not ideal, regardless of whether the game is singleplayer only or not. Here's the rest of the patch notes from Sandfall, now live in-game. Weapon and skill fixes and tuning Fixed Lithelim attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Vitality scaling from A to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Luck scaling starting at D. Fixed Blizzon attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Luck scaling from B to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Defense scaling starting at D. Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance instead of doubling only Burn damage. Stendhal: Reduced damage by 40 percent. Various Ultrawide Fixes Gameplay no longer becomes zoomed after a cutscene occurs in ultrawide resolutions The Options menu image will no longer be stretched in ultrawide resolutions Combat UI now adapts correctly to ultrawide resolutions Game will no longer minimize upon 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 Expedition Menu are now visible and fully able to be triggered with Keyboard Mouse buttons do not become unresponsive after first use With mouse cursor on screen, using 'WASD' or directional arrows to navigate in UI or trigger any other functionality will no longer hide the cursor instead of doing the intended action Left Mouse-button click will no longer block the player from using Keyboard to navigate menus Mouse input is not lost after the first Jump counter attack if it is pressed only once Fixed areas of the world map where you can get stuck Between lanterns scattered on the ground near Stone Wave Cliff portal While walking on the ship wreck near the Forgotten Battlefield level entrance Between lanterns on the ground near Bourgeon encounter next to Stone Wave Cliffs level Between two small rocks located between Spring Meadows and Abbest Cave Between vases and corals when jumping from rooftopps Between various rocks In ruins behind Flying Manor level entrance Near the bridge between Flying Waters and Spring Meadows In the rocks on the World Map, near Flying Waters Next to hardened land, close to the Flying Waters location exit Fixed situations where Esquie specifically would get stuck When taking off from paint bridges, making him fall through the bridge and restrict movement When flying into bottom parts of levitating structures near Visages Near the Flying Waters entrance level Near a giant hammer when traversing close to Blades' Graveyard level Other fixes Boss encounter in Stone Wave Cliffs can now be finished on NG+ You will no longer be blocked by the Journal UI window after opening the first Journal in the Spring Meadows Fixed being unable to shoot in Free aim while exploring levels due to worn triggers Lune and Monoco no longer spawn in same place during end of theirs Level 6 relationship quests if they are completed without going to camp If at camp you pick “remember the objective”, then quickly choose to "go to sleep" and immediately after press "leave", the screen no longer goes black You can no lon

May 9, 2025 - 16:35

Expedition 33’s Maelle Stendhal nerf hits live servers along with other changes in update 1.2.3

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been such a hit with gamers since launching a few weeks ago that it's had a cultural impact in the gamer community.

Aside from players logging online to share their thoughts and feelings about the story, gamers have also been attempting to "break the game" with character builds to destroy bosses with big damage numbers, none bigger than those produced by Maelle. Well, things are changing for the young fencer with a new update today.

Read on below for the Expedition 33 patch notes for update 1.2.3, the game's first substantial patch since launch.

Expedition 33 patch notes: Update 1.2.3 - May 9

Expedition 33 patch notes: Update 1.2.3 - May 9

Maelle Expedition 33 — Screenshot by Destructoid

Stendhal, Maelle's game-breaking Skill, has had its damage nerfed by a whopping 40 percent. That's a lot, but Sandfall says you should still be able to "break the game" with different builds, but this specific skill was egregiously strong and making things a bit unbalanced.

“We hadn’t planned to make any balance changes this early—just bug fixes, unless something clearly stood out,” Sandfall said. “Well, Stendhal did. It was underwhelming for most of development, so in our final pre-release balance pass, we gave it a big damage boost—and clearly overdid it. It ended up overshadowing most other options.”

With specific builds, Maelle was able to do over two billion damage with Stendhal, erasing anything in the game in one hit. That's obviously not ideal, regardless of whether the game is singleplayer only or not.

Here's the rest of the patch notes from Sandfall, now live in-game.

Weapon and skill fixes and tuning

Fixed Lithelim attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Vitality scaling from A to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Luck scaling starting at D.
Fixed Blizzon attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Luck scaling from B to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Defense scaling starting at D.
Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance instead of doubling only Burn damage.
Stendhal: Reduced damage by 40 percent.

Various Ultrawide Fixes

Gameplay no longer becomes zoomed after a cutscene occurs in ultrawide resolutions
The Options menu image will no longer be stretched in ultrawide resolutions
Combat UI now adapts correctly to ultrawide resolutions
Game will no longer minimize upon 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 Expedition Menu are now visible and fully able to be triggered with Keyboard
Mouse buttons do not become unresponsive after first use
With mouse cursor on screen, using 'WASD' or directional arrows to navigate in UI or trigger any other functionality will no longer hide the cursor instead of doing the intended action
Left Mouse-button click will no longer block the player from using Keyboard to navigate menus
Mouse input is not lost after the first Jump counter attack if it is pressed only once

Fixed areas of the world map where you can get stuck

Between lanterns scattered on the ground near Stone Wave Cliff portal
While walking on the ship wreck near the Forgotten Battlefield level entrance
Between lanterns on the ground near Bourgeon encounter next to Stone Wave Cliffs level
Between two small rocks located between Spring Meadows and Abbest Cave
Between vases and corals when jumping from rooftopps
Between various rocks
In ruins behind Flying Manor level entrance
Near the bridge between Flying Waters and Spring Meadows
In the rocks on the World Map, near Flying Waters
Next to hardened land, close to the Flying Waters location exit

Fixed situations where Esquie specifically would get stuck

When taking off from paint bridges, making him fall through the bridge and restrict movement
When flying into bottom parts of levitating structures near Visages
Near the Flying Waters entrance level
Near a giant hammer when traversing close to Blades' Graveyard level

Other fixes

Boss encounter in Stone Wave Cliffs can now be finished on NG+
You will no longer be blocked by the Journal UI window after opening the first Journal in the Spring Meadows
Fixed being unable to shoot in Free aim while exploring levels due to worn triggers
Lune and Monoco no longer spawn in same place during end of theirs Level 6 relationship quests if they are completed without going to camp
If at camp you pick “remember the objective”, then quickly choose to "go to sleep" and immediately after press "leave", the screen no longer goes black
You can no longer trigger the "Discovering the truth" cutscene in Old Lumière a second time in a row, splitting the party forever with only Verso and Maelle in it.
Update to rolling credits.

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