Megabonk Withdrawn From Game Awards Nominees by its Creator

The creator of Megabonk, known as Vedinad, has opted to remove his game from The Game Awards (TGA) due to its nomination in the category of Best Debut Indie Game. He claims that Megabonk isn’t eligible for this category as it doesn’t mark his debut in the gaming arena. This announcement came through a post on the official Megabonk’s account which created ripples in the gaming community. Vedinad, having designed games under diverse studio names, highlighted that Megabonk is not his first creation. Although he expressed his gratitude for the nomination and support, he sternly believes that Megabonk doesn’t belong in this category. He suggested gamers to back another worthy debut game. A subsequent update was also promised. Megabonk was previously enlisted as a nominee for Best Debut Indie, among others like Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote, and Dispatch. In response to Vedinad’s public statement, Geoff Keighley, the creator of The Game Awards, acknowledged the request and assured via a Twitter post that Megabonk would soon be removed from the nomination list. While Vedinad had presented himself pseudonymously as a new designer, he clarified that he’s a seasoned solo game builder. Although Megabonk stands unparalleled in its gameplay, out of principle, Vedinad didn’t wish to deprive deserving debutant teams of their chance at recognition. The question of what counts as a new independent studio continues to fuel debate. Many game development teams evolve, expand, and rebrand, making the definition of ‘new’ quite vague. Solo developers aren’t exceptions. As seen in Megabonk’s case, they often receive aids and credits from others. Megabonk’s Steam art, for instance, was created by Giovanni Fim, and its OST saw contributions from Miguel Angel. Its playtesting team and special mention to Vedinad’s mother further prove the point. To define a ‘game studio’ accurately remains a challenge. This situation highlights that the categories of The Game Awards often become points of confusion. Precedents of such instances date back to previous years. In 2023, Dave the Diver—an entity from Korean gaming behemoth Nexon—was nominated for Best Indie, leading to the admittance from Keighley that interpretations of ‘indie’ vary extensively. This shows how unclarity about award categories has been a persistent point of contention. This instance with Megabonk adds to the history of such occurring mix-ups.