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The Game Awards 2025 nominations saw an unprecedented event in the history of the ceremony as Megabonk was officially pulled from the list of nominees in the Best First-Time Indie Game category, hours after the nominations were announced and at the direct request of the game’s developer.
Immediately after the nominations were announced, developer John Megabonk, known on X as John Megabonk, released a statement explaining that the game does not meet the requirements for the Best First Time Indie Game category, saying:
“It’s an honor to have Megabonk nominated for The Game Awards but I don’t think it’s eligible. I’ve developed games under different studio names so it’s not my first game.
This category is for developers who are releasing their first official game as a studio, so any previous experiences disqualify them from the debut requirement.
Chairman Jeff Kelly confirmed in an official post that after contacting the developer and reviewing the details, the committee decided to withdraw Megabonk’s nomination from the list, leaving only four remaining nominees:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Blue Prince
- Despolete
- Dispatch
This decision is the first of its kind since the ceremony began in 2014 and reflects a remarkable transparency on the part of the developer, who preferred to abide by the award’s criteria rather than remain in the race, and despite the fact that Megabonk was only nominated for this category, its withdrawal was honorable, as described by players.
