Two weeks after the developer pulled Megabonk from the Best Debut Indie ballot, the game is back in The Game Awards conversation as one of 30 nominees in the fan-voted Players’ Voice bracket. The earlier withdrawal was covered by the site and explained that Vedinad removed the game because it did not meet the debut rules.
Vedinad posted an exuberant announcement on X, writing in all caps that “WE’RE SO BACK” and asking players to vote. The Players’ Voice category is entirely public voting, starting with a 30-game slate and progressing through three rounds until a single title remains, so momentum and community turnout matter more than industry recognition.
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 pic.twitter.com/kUNDYN5y5h
— Megabonk (@MegabonkGame) December 1, 2025
The bracket sets a steep hill for Megabonk to climb. The slate includes massive live-service names and major releases alongside critically praised indies, so the solo project faces contests that can marshal very large player bases. Our coverage of the TGA nominations noted that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the field, which is one reason the overall field looks crowded with heavy hitters.
Some of the bracketed games are obvious vote magnets: long-running services and recent blockbusters that can drive huge voting numbers. Titles listed alongside Megabonk include Arc Raiders, Battlefield 6, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Helldivers 2, Fortnite, and Hollow Knight: Silksong among others, which means smaller projects need passionate communities to advance.
That said, the Players’ Voice format has room for surprises. Fan voting has produced upsets before when a smaller title manages to concentrate support in a head-to-head round, and Megabonk’s cheeky voice and visible outreach—Vedinad has been actively asking for nominations and votes on social platforms,could help concentrate enough attention to move through early rounds.
The Game Awards takes place on December 11, so the bracket will shake down quickly over the next two weeks as rounds of voting eliminate contenders and leave the final pick to the public.
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Megabonk
Developed by vedinad
