CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33 Art Book Mistaken for Ancient Relic by Customs Officials
A fan of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claims their official art book for the hit video game was detained by customs because government officials believed it could be an ancient artifact.
The wild situation popped up on Reddit, where user “Ahmed15252” shared what happened after ordering The Expeditioner’s Journal, a 48-page art book included with the Monolith Set from Sandfall Interactive.
Instead of simply arriving at their door in Iraq, the package was apparently flagged by customs for looking a little too historically convincing.
"This can't be for real," they write. "My expedition journal that comes with the Monolith Set got detained by customs for being 'possibly ancient.'"
If you’ve seen the aesthetic of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you know it leans heavily into old-world mysticism, intricate symbols, and weathered designs. The Expeditioner’s Journal looks like something an archaeologist might brush dirt off in a desert dig. A slick modern art book this is not. It fully commits to the in-universe vibe.
Ahmed went on to explain exactly what triggered the holdup: "Customs opened the package and decided the art book looked a bit too ancient. You know... drawings, symbols, vibes."
And it didn’t stop at a quick inspection. According to the post, things escalated in a way no collector expects when dropping $120 on a special edition set.
"The book has been officially sent to the Iraqi Museum / Technical Committee to confirm that it is in fact a modern video game art book and not a newly discovered lost artifact."
This can’t be real, right!? A video game art book allegedly being reviewed by museum officials to verify that it isn’t a historical discovery? What!? If it is, it’s pretty wild.
Despite the chaos, Ahmed seems to be handling it with solid humor. They wrapped up their post with: "10/10 experience will definitely accidentally import history again. My video game art book was detained by customs for being 'possibly ancient.'"
The Reddit thread included photos of the book itself along with what appears to be a letter from the Republic of Iraq’s Ministry of Culture. If genuine, the situation is as surreal as it sounds.
Here’s hoping the technical committee gives it the all-clear soon. Until then, maybe double-check your collector’s editions before importing them. Apparently, some of them look a little too historically accurate for international travel.