Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Megabonk is officially back, and The Game Awards 2025 just gave the fan-favorite icon its biggest spotlight yet.
A week before The Game Awards 2025, Megabonk appeared to be stepping out of the competition altogether.
It’s developer had voluntarily withdrawn the title from one of the major indie categories, raising questions about its eligibility.
But the game has unexpectedly resurfaced, now placed among 30 contenders for the Players’ Voice award, a fan-driven category that often amplifies community favorites.
Early confusion
Megabonk was originally listed for Best Debut Indie alongside several high-profile newcomers.
According to reporting from Polygon, developer Vedinad pulled the game in mid-November, arguing it didn’t meet the criteria because they had previously released other projects under different studio names.
At the time, Vedinad said: “It’s an honor and a dream for Megabonk to be nominated for TGA, but unfortunately, I don’t think it qualifies for the category ‘Debut Indie Game.’ I’ve made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game.”
Category withdrawal
The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley later acknowledged the request publicly on X, confirming Megabonk would be removed from the debut lineup.
The decision closed the door on one nomination, and for a moment, it appeared to end the game’s awards-season run.
But the story didn’t stop there. Despite the earlier withdrawal, Megabonk has now reappeared in the Players’ Voice race, a bracket decided entirely by fans across three voting rounds.
New nomination
The list includes blockbuster sequels and industry flagships such as Death Stranding 2, Hades II, Battlefield 6, Fortnite, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Megabonk stands among them as one of the few smaller-scale indies competing for public favor.
Celebrating the turnaround, Vedinad wrote: “WE’RE SO BACK… 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 pls.”
Critical reception
IGN’s own impressions of the game reported a positive experience, noting: “As far as survivors-likes go, this is a pretty strong one. I’d say it’s worth a look if you have an appetite for another one of these that isn’t basically just a Vampire Survivors reskin. I just wish there was a little more level variety.”
Soruces: IGN Nordic, The Game Awards, X/@MegabonkGame, Polygon
