Megabonk gets back into The Game Awards despite dev pulling out

Megabonk developer Vedinad surprised the world when he rescinded his game from consideration in The Game Awards’ Best Debut Indie category, but fans aren’t allowing the story to stop there. The Game Awards also allow viewers to vote on their own GOTY of sorts, which it calls Players’ Voice. The competition in this category is stiff, with indies and AAA games alike vying for the top spot. But the impish Vampire Survivors-like game is officially in the running.

For those out of the loop, Megabonk’s developer rejected his inclusion in The Game Awards because he did not feel that his game fit the criteria for best debut indie release. Though Vedinad has opted to present anonymously while marketing Megabonk, the developer noted he had actually worked on games prior to Megabonk.

“i really appreciate the nomination, support and votes, but it doesn’t feel right in this category,” Vedinad wrote at the time. “you should vote for another one of the amazing debut titles, they are all amazing games!”

On Dec. 1, Vedinad announced on social media that Megabonk was up for consideration in a new category for Players’ Voice. The category follows a slightly complicated procedure where fans can submit picks for their top 10 favorite games. From here, games are culled over the course of three rounds until a winner is crowned. The first round is over on Dec. 2, so fans have less than 24 hours to get Megabonk in the running.

Players’ Voice seems like The Game Awards’ answer to people who feel that GOTY as a whole should be decided by video game fans. The Game of the Year award does take fan sentiment into consideration, as the award show decides winners based on a blended vote divided between a jury and players. But fans only get 10% of the say there. In an FAQ, The Game Awards explains that it does GOTY this way to prevent the chances of a game being included in a category through social engineering.

“We find that a blended vote is the most credible and authentic way to select winners,” the FAQ reads.

What are the chances that Megabonk pulls through to the end? Vedinad, who shared an image of a screaming wizard being injected by a giant syringe labeled “hope,” sounds optimistic.

“WE’RE SO BACK,” Vedinad exclaimed on social media site X, where fans are now trying to rally around the game. But even if the indie title doesn’t make the cut, the whole thing is a sweet turn of events for a game that seemed relegated to be snubbed of some well-deserved praise. Megabonk might be a small and familiar game, but its lighthearted brainrot has certainly brought me some joy this year. By that virtue alone, I think the most justifiable thing would obviously be to put Megabonk on the big card for overall GOTY. Make it happen, Geoff!