„I don't think it qualifies” Megabonk developer withdraws Game Awards nomination

Today, after the Game Awards nominees were announced yesterday, one indie developer has made an unexpected move. Vedinad, the solo developer behind the recent breakout hit, Megabonk, has withdrawn their nomination for the Best Debut Indie category. The news was shared on social media via the official Megabonk account, and it’s hard to think of any other examples of something like this happening. The survivors-inspired game has earned praise from fans, reaching near the top of Steam’s most played charts, as well as from other developers, such as the publishing director for Baldur’s Gate 3, calling it “perfect brain rot,” or Bucky, the publishing manager for Palworld, saying it has “consumed me, both body and mind…” So, why has the developer behind one of 2025’s biggest indie hits decided to withdraw from their Game Awards nomination?

Megabonk developer announces they are withdrawing their Game Awards nomination

The news was shared on social media, with the Megabonk developer explaining, “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.’” Vedinad explains that they have made other games “under different studio names” and that Megabonk doesn’t feel like a debut game for them. This decision appears to come out of nowhere, as I have not seen anyone argue that it didn’t deserve to be in that category. Other users have argued about whether games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should qualify for the Best Independent Game and the Best Debut Indie category, but nothing about Megabonk.

Megabonk shares the announcement on social media.Source: Megabonk on Twitter / X

Vedinad goes on to say that they “really appreciate the nomination, support and votes, but it doesn’t feel right…” Instead, the developer encourages fans to “vote for another one of the amazing debut titles…” Other games in the same category include Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, despelote, and Blue Prince, all of which are worthy of praise. In the replies, users either pointed out that the category is meant for debut games from newly formed studios, not necessarily the first game anyone has worked on, or called the move “based,” even from Peak developer Aggro Crab, a fellow nominee in a different category.

But what makes this a difficult argument is that the true identity of the Megabonk developer remains a mystery. The prevailing theory seems to be that it is a Norwegian YouTuber named Dani Dev, which is a pretty convincing theory given that the developer’s name is the same letters backwards. But, since that isn’t a confirmed fact, it’s hard to gauge what exactly this developer, Vedinad, has worked on in the past.

For fans of Megabonk, this may be a disappointing revelation. It’s always fun to cheer for your favorite game to take home an award. But, on the bright side, the announcement ends with a promise of a new update for Megabonk “coming soon.” Courtesy of “John Megabonk.” But ultimately, if this is disappointing, it is still what the developer wants; that’s something I would expect fans to honor and respect.

Either way, this sets a unique precedent. In the years I’ve been attending the Game Awards, no one has ever withdrawn a nomination. It’s not yet clear whether the Game Awards team will honor this request or if it’s more of a symbolic move by Vedinad, simply asking people not to vote for Megabonk. With only a few weeks until the Game Awards showcase on December 11th, it won’t take long to find out.

Megabonk

September 18, 2025

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• Overview

• indie games
• TGA / The Game Awards