The developer of indie game Megabonk has withdrawn from The Game Awards after being nominated for Debut Indie Game.
Following the nominations reveal earlier this week, the developer of the game has admitted Megabonk is in fact not his debut game – he’s been making games under different studio names.
“I’m withdrawing from The Game Awards,” the developer shared on social media. “It’s an honour 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.”
He added: “I really appreciate the nomination, support and votes, but it doesn’t feel right in this category. You should vote for another one of the amazing debut titles, they are all amazing games! Thanks again! new megabonk update coming soon.”
The post is signed off as John Megabonk and includes a disguised face emoji. That’s because the developer himself is something of a mystery, which has inevitably, confusingly, led to this nomination.
Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, later confirmed the nomination has been officially removed from the category.
“@MegabonkGame, a nominee for Best Debut Indie Game, reached out to clarify that he is an established solo developer who had been presenting himself as a new creator under the name Vedinad,” wrote Keighley. “We’re grateful for his honesty. As a result, Megabonk will be removed from the category.
“He’ll share more about his story when he’s ready, but we respect that he didn’t want to take recognition away from other debut teams – even though the game itself is outstanding.”
The other games in this category include Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote, and Dispatch.
You could argue, however, that the likes of Expedition 33 and Dispatch aren’t debut games either, considering the developers of both games previously worked at other studios. These are simply the first games from new studios.
Still, Expedition 33 has made The Game Awards history by becoming the most-nominated game ever with 12 nominations this year. That includes Game of the Year, as well as multiple Best Performance nominations.
