Summary
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs didn't recognize Jennifer English during her audition for Maelle.
- English famously portrayed Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3.
- Expedition 33's star-studded voice cast includes actors from games like Final Fantasy 16 and Cyberpunk 2077.
A recent snippet from one of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s voice actors reveals the Sandfall Interactive developers behind the hit RPG didn’t recognize one of the most distinct voices in the gaming industry during the audition process. Expedition 33 was released back in April 2025 to outstanding success and has already gained a shoo-in for Game of the Year. The narrative follows a group of volunteer expeditioners hellbent on defeating the Paintress, a being that enforces an annual Gommage that erases all humans whose age matches an ever-decreasing number.
Expedition 33 harbors several elements that players love, from the epic music to the dark fantasy Belle Époque setting. One of the game’s most popular components, however, is the lovable traversal companion, and an Expedition 33 fan created their own real-life Esquie recently. Lune and Verso have become popular party members in their own right during the RPG’s success, and one character has a recognizable voice actor behind the performance that the Clair Obscur devs failed to pinpoint.
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Posted on YouTube by Jen and Aliona, voice actor Jennifer English and her partner and fellow Expedition 33 actor, Aliona Baranova, revealed that, during English’s audition to play Maelle, the game’s developers had no idea it was the famous Baldur’s Gate 3 actor. "They didn’t recognize Jen as Shadowheart in her audition as Maelle," Baranova said, even though some of the devs had played Baldur’s Gate 3. Maelle delivers various memorable quotes in Expedition 33, delivered with strength and vulnerability by the brilliant English, and Baranova also revealed that the game’s narrative lead, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, "knew within seconds" that English was the perfect fit for Maelle.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Devs Didn't Recognize Jennifer English From Baldur's Gate 3 During Maelle Audition
English portrayed the Half-Elf Cleric in Larian Studios’ RPG, which became 2023’s Game of the Year, and the actor carries a unique tone to her voice that most gamers and developers now recognize. YouTubers noted that English’s portrayal of Maelle was a match made in heaven, and a majority of fans knew from Expedition 33’s first trailer that “God’s favorite princess” was playing the young expeditioner. Shadowheart has become so popular that gamers are even creating the character within InZOI. One reason why the devs didn’t recognize English was because they held blind auditions, meaning the casting team couldn’t put a name or face to the voice audition to eliminate any bias.
Joining English in the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 voice cast is a wealth of talent from some famous faces. Final Fantasy 16 and The First Berserker: Khazan actor Ben Starr brings Verso to life in the game, alongside Daredevil frontman Charlie Cox as Gustave. T he Lord of the Rings star and mo-cap veteran Andy Serkis lends his voice to the elusive Renoir, Netflix’s The Sandman actor Kirsty Rider delivers Lune’s performance, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’s Shala Nyx plays Sciel.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
