The smash-hit indie roguelike Megabonk made waves earlier this month when the game’s creator—an individual who goes by Vedinad—refused a nomination from The Game Awards for Best Debut Indie Game, stating that they had already created other games under various studio names, excluding them from the debut category.
The ‘Best Debut Indie Game’ category is now contested between Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote and Dispatch.
Geoff Keighley assented to Vedinad’s request, removing Megabonk from the category. However, the saga didn’t end there. Megabonk has managed to return to award contention through the fan-voted Player’s Voice category.
Return of the Skateboarding Skeleton
“We’re so back,” Vedinad e-shouted in a social media post. “Megabonk is nominated for The Game Awards – Player’s Voice!! I withdrew my other nomination due to Megabonk not fitting the category, but with this new nomination, we’re more back than ever. Go vote please!”
The competition was tough for Megabonk in the Best Debut Indie category; Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won every single award it was nominated for at The Golden Joysticks earlier this month.
The Game Awards Nominations Have Been Revealed, And You Can Find Them All Here
You can find each of this year’s The Game Awards nominees right here.
However, Megabonk arguably faces even tougher odds in the Player’s Voice category because there are 30 games nominated. Worse yet, there are some heavy hitters on the list, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (once more), Arc Raiders, Hades 2 and Fortnite.
Arc Raiders – Embark Studios
Battlefield 6 – Battlefield Studios
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Sandfall Interactive
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Kojima Productions
Donkey Kong Bananza – Nintendo EPD
Doom: The Dark Ages – id Software
Elden Ring Nightreign – FromSoftware
Genshin Impact – HoYoverse
Ghost of Yotei – Sucker Punch Productions
Hades 2 – Supergiant Games
Helldivers 2 – Arrowhead Game Studios
Hollowknight: Silksong – Team Cherry
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – MachineGames
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – Warhorse Studios
Mario Kart World – Nintendo EPD
Marvel Rivals – NetEase Games
Ninja Gaiden 4 – PlatinumGames
No Man’s Sky – Hello Games
Peak – Aggro Crab/Landfall
R.E.P.O. – Semiwork Studios
Silent Hill f – NeoBards Entertainment
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds – Sonic Team/Sega
Split Fiction – Hazelight Studios
Warframe – Digital Extremes
Wuthering Waves – Kuro Games
Unlike other categories, Player’s Voice is wholly decided by a public vote. It goes through three rounds of voting, eliminating games along the way until the public decides on an ultimate winner. Democracy manifest.
Previous winners of the award include Black Myth: Wukong, Baldur’s Gate 3, Genshin Impact, Halo Infinite, Ghost of Tsushima and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Megabonk
- Released
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September 18, 2025
- Developer(s)
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vedinad
- Publisher(s)
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vedinad
- Number of Players
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Single-player
