Expedition 33 art book seized by Iraqi customs as possible relic

The Monolith Set of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a collector’s edition that includes a steelbook case, a music box statuette and a 48-page hardcover art book, began shipping in January 2026 after mid-2025 pre-orders. Not every copy reached its destination: a Reddit user, Ahmed15252, posted pictures of a letter from the Iraqi government explaining that Customs had taken the parcel for further inspection.

One notice noted, "The parcel contained an art book with drawings of monetary value," and said the book was referred to Iraq's Ministry of Culture and Antiquities for study. A separate document shows it was expedited to the Directorate of Investigation and Excavation.

Customs had opened the collector’s edition before making the determination, even though the game’s name appears on the steelbook and the Paintress replica is visible. Sandfall Interactive did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iraq

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