In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 various builds can be created, some of which are quite powerful and can defeat bosses in seconds. A powerful skill of Maelle was initially quite weak – until the time before the release became tight.
Which skill is meant? Maelle, like all playable characters in Clair Obscur, has access to a range of abilities that significantly ease the challenging expedition. Among them is the notorious Skill Stendhal.
The ability is quite strong and therefore also an essential part of many builds. You receive it at the beginning of Act 3, and given the increasing difficulty of the bosses, it is a welcome help.
Since the game’s release in April 2025, the developers have adjusted the skill, as it was so overpowering initially that it made Clair Obscur in Act 3 somewhat too easy.
Already in May 2025, there was a nerf that slightly weakened Stendhal, as the developers announced at that time on x.com. Now they have revealed how the overpowering skill made it into the game.
A Last-Minute Change
What do the developers say? Guillaume Broche, the Creative Director of Clair Obscur, spoke about Stendhal in an interview with Edge Magazine (via gamesradar.com). It may be surprising, but initially the skill was anything but strong; on the contrary:
[Maelle’s Stendhal skill] was very weak during all playtests, and we decided to change it at the last minute [before release], so we didn’t test it properly.
Guillaume Broche
In this case, the change was so significant that the skill went from being a rather weak ability to an overpowering one in an instant. Had there been more time before release to test the skill in its altered form thoroughly, it likely wouldn’t have made it so strong into the final game.
Is Stendhal weak now? The skill was adjusted some time after release by the developers, but it is by no means bad. For a strong Maelle build, it is still a very good choice.
It would be interesting to test the original version in the game, the one that was considered “very weak” during development. Clair Obscur received a major free update only in December 2025. A boss enemy that would likely be easier to defeat with the overpowering Stendhal attack even posed problems for the head of the game: The toughest boss in Clair Obscur is so difficult that even the CEO of the studio cannot defeat it without tricks
