Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Nerfs Overpowered Maelle Build in New Patch

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the single-player RPG, has just received a significant patch aimed at rebalancing gameplay. The focus? The infamous Maelle one-shot build, which allowed players to easily eliminate even the toughest bosses. The developers at Sandfall Interactive have responded with a 70% nerf to this dominant strategy, promising a more balanced and challenging experience.

The Maelle build centered around the Stendhal skill and the Medalum sword, allowing for massive damage output right from the start of combat. As Forbes reported, the original build could deliver hits in the tens of millions, trivializing even the most difficult encounters. Before the patch, players were hitting for 12-18 million and with crits much much higher. Post-patch, those numbers were drastically reduced to 3.6-5.5 million.

According to GameSpot, Sandfall Interactive acknowledged Stendhal was initially "underwhelming" during development, leading to a boost before release. However, the end result proved too powerful, prompting the rebalancing effort. "We still want you to be able to break the game--and you absolutely still can--but Stendhal was making it a bit too easy," Sandfall wrote.

The latest patch, 1.2.3, isn't just about balance. It also introduces improvements for Steam Deck compatibility, resolving issues with menu backgrounds. PC players with ultrawide monitors will also benefit from fixes addressing UI scaling and cutscene display. Furthermore, mouse and keyboard controls have been refined for a more intuitive experience.

Specifically, the patch addresses the following:

• Medalum Sword: Its third Lumina was incorrectly doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance and is now fixed to only double burn damage.
• Stendhal Skill: Damage reduced by 40%.

While the 70% nerf is significant, some players are already theorizing about optimized builds that could still achieve one-shot potential. Forbes suggests that even with the nerf, many bosses will still be vulnerable, especially with highly optimized builds. It remains to be seen if this rebalancing will be enough to create the intended challenge.

Expedition 33 is a testament to a good game. It continues to be a huge success for 2024. It boasts over 2 million copies sold through PC , PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, as well as being a day-one launch through Game Pass.

Will these changes bring better endgame balance or will players uncover new overpowered strategies? Share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below!

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Maelle Build
• Sandfall Interactive