In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gestral merchants are a key stop for both functional gear and cosmetic upgrades. Occasionally, though, you might notice that one or more items in their shop don’t display a name at all, instead showing the message “Find an Expeditioner.” This isn’t a glitch — it’s a built-in system tied to your party’s progression.
If you’re wondering what this means and how to unlock those hidden items, here’s everything you need to know.
Why Merchants Show “Find an Expeditioner”
This message appears when a merchant’s stock includes items meant for a party member who hasn’t joined your team yet. Each character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has their own unique weapons, armor, and cosmetic gear. If the intended character isn’t in your party, the game temporarily locks those items to prevent you from buying something you can’t equip.
Sometimes this prompt can appear on multiple items in a merchant’s inventory at once, since several pieces of gear or cosmetics may be tied to the same unrecruited character.
You won’t need to solve a puzzle or complete a side quest to remove the block — simply progress the main story. Party members are impossible to miss, so this is purely a matter of story progression rather than exploration or optional objectives. Once that specific character officially joins your expedition, their gear becomes available for purchase at any merchant that stocks it.
When Each Expeditioner Joins in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
In total, there are six (6) playable characters, including your starting protagonist, Gustave. Most allies join in Act 1, with the final recruit arriving early in Act 2. After Monoco joins the party, you’ll never see the “Find an Expeditioner” prompt again.
Here’s when each member becomes available:
| Location | Expeditioner |
|---|---|
| Spring Meadows | Lune |
| Flying Waters | Maelle |
| Gestral Village | Sciel |
| Stone Wave Cliff (immediately after) | Verso |
| Monoco’s Station | Monoco |
Once you clear Esquie’s Nest earlier in Act 1, you can ride Esquie to backtrack faster to merchants you’ve visited before. After Stone Wave Cliffs, you’ll also gain the ability to swim, which opens new travel routes — handy if you want to revisit earlier shops once new characters join.
See also: Maelle Best Build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Ultimate DPS Guide
Merchant Purchase Tips in Clair Obscur Expedition 33
While it’s tempting to save your currency for later, there’s real value in buying early gear upgrades:
- Elemental Advantages: Many enemies have specific elemental weaknesses. Equipping the right weapon type can be more effective than relying solely on raw attack power.
- Party Balance: Diversify your team’s equipment so that multiple characters can exploit different enemy vulnerabilities.
- Cosmetic Collection: If you enjoy customizing your squad’s appearance, keep an eye out for limited cosmetic gear that may only appear at certain merchants.
In Flying Waters, you’ll also unlock weapon upgrades, Colour of Lumina, and tint upgrades at Camp. Keep this in mind when budgeting your currency between buying new weapons and improving your existing ones.
See also: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Attributes Guide & Best Builds
Should You Go Back for Locked Items?
Yes — especially if you’re playing on higher difficulties where optimal equipment can make a major difference in combat efficiency. Once the locked character joins, revisit earlier merchants to check for previously hidden gear. Some of these items can remain useful deep into the game, particularly those with strong secondary effects or rare elemental affinities.
See also: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Full Walkthrough and Zone Progression Guide
“Find an Expeditioner” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is simply the game’s way of saying, “You haven’t met the person who can use this yet.” Keep progressing through the story, recruit the missing party member, and the gear will unlock automatically. After the full party is assembled, you’ll have unrestricted merchant access — making it the perfect time to fine-tune your loadouts before tougher battles ahead. Play Now!
