Iraqi customs confiscate Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 art book thinking it's ancient relic

Iraqi customs officials have confiscated an art book from the collector's edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, mistaking the gaming artwork for an ancient relic, according to a Reddit user who shared images of official government notices. The 48-page hardcover art book from the Monolith Set was referred to Iraq's Ministry of Culture and Antiquities after customs deemed it contained "drawings of monetary value."

Gaming collectible mistaken for historical artifact

Redditor Ahmed15252 shared pictures of letters from the Iraqi government explaining why the art book from their collector's edition was seized for inspection. The notice states that "the parcel contained an art book with drawings of monetary value" and indicates the book has been expedited to Iraq's Directorate of Investigation and Excavation for further study.

The Monolith Set of Expedition 33 is a special collector's item that includes a steelbook case for Sandfall Interactive's RPG, a music box statuette, and the now-confiscated 48-page hardcover art book. Pre-orders for the set went live midway through 2025, with shipping beginning in January 2026.

What makes the situation particularly amusing is that customs officials would have had to open the collector's edition and examine its contents before determining the art book was a historical artifact. The actual game name is clearly visible on both the steelbook case and accompanying items.

Fan's humorous reaction

Ahmed15252 took the mix-up in good humour, writing "This can't be for real" in their Reddit post. In follow-up comments, they added: "They acting like its a mona lisa painting or sum like that" and "I don't know what the hell went through their minds to assume its an ancient book."

The collector appears optimistic about retrieving their package, noting that the likelihood of getting it back is "extremely high given that it is not, in fact, an ancient piece of history." Sandfall Interactive did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the unusual customs incident.

About Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an RPG developed by Sandfall Interactive, known for its distinctive painted storybook art style. The game's visual design features hand-painted artwork that creates an immersive fantasy world, which may have contributed to customs officials mistaking the accompanying art book for historical material.

The incident occurs as gaming collectibles and limited edition items become increasingly popular among fans, though this appears to be the first reported case of gaming artwork being confused with ancient artifacts by customs authorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by

Share

Copied