Nominees for The Game Awards were released yesterday, and there’s a whole lot of indie excellence on display. However, one notable contender among them has decided to withdraw from contention.
The fabulously titled Megabonk received a nod for the Best Debut Indie Game category. However, the project creator, who currently goes by vedinad, announced on X today that they were withdrawing. “I’ve made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game,” the solo dev said.
I’m withdrawing from The Game Awards.
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
— Megabonk (@MegabonkGame) November 18, 2025
The category is kind of a weird one, since indie creators may have worked at other big or small studios. Even fully self-taught devs will have made and maybe even released several projects before having any kind of breakthrough success or popularity. But if vedinad feels the game doesn’t fit the category, then it’s still a gracious move to bow out.
Megabonk follows in the recent lineage of Vampire Survivors, a popular bullet-hell roguelike that just arrived in virtual reality. The Megabonk riff takes the 2D concept into a low-poly 3D and adds some pretty wacky characters into the mix. Venidad said the title sold 1 million copies in just two weeks, making it one of the latest Steam indie sensations to have a big moment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/megabonk-has-withdrawn-from-the-game-awards-212822746.html?src=rss
