Megabonk is a fast-paced action roguelite inspired heavily by Vampire Survivors, with simple gameplay, constant enemy waves, and escalating power upgrades. The game was created by a solo developer who shared the entire process on TikTok, posting regular development updates and involving the community along the way.
It launched in September 2025 and quickly became a hit on Steam, peaking at 117,000 players. Thanks to its strong reception, it was nominated on November 17, 2025, for Best Debut Indie at The Game Awards.
Who exactly is the developer behind Megabonk and what happened?
In a video that has now passed 700,000 views, Super Studios broke down who they believe the developer vedinad really is. The name reversed reads Dani Dev, which immediately drew attention from fans of Dani, the YouTube creator behind Crab Game, Muck, and several viral development videos. Dani has not uploaded to YouTube or appeared publicly in around three years, aside from the occasional comment on X.
Super Studios’ 16-minute video highlights that both creators are based in Norway, and it draws comparisons from information shared across their past and present projects.
One of the most talked about details is the appearance of Karlson in Vedinad’s Steam library. Karlson is Dani’s long-running project and has never been released, which means only the developer would normally have direct access. For many fans, this is the strongest piece of evidence connecting the two identities.
The theory eventually quietened down as Vedinad continued working on Megabonk. At this year’s Game Awards, however, Megabonk was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game. This led the creator to post on X and withdraw from the category, writing:
I'm withdrawing from The Game Awards.It's an honor 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 🥸November 18, 2025
The withdrawal has only reignited speculation, with many fans once again convinced that the creator behind Megabonk may be Dani returning under a new name.
They followed up with a second message:
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 — John Megabonk
Vedinad
How the community reacted
Community sentiment around the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, with many players praising the developer for turning down what some described as free clout. The move was widely seen as honest and respectful to other first time indie creators.
Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards, responded directly to the developer and confirmed that Megabonk had been removed from voting. He wrote:
.@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.We’re grateful for his honesty. As a result, MegaBonk will be removed from the category. pic.twitter.com/mTR5lmMubbNovember 18, 2025
It is extremely rare for a game to be pulled from The Game Awards. I genuinely cannot recall another recent example where this has happened. The updated list of nominees now includes Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote, and Dispatch.
There has also been some community discussion around Clair Obscur, as the team includes several former Ubisoft developers. That debate goes beyond this story, though, but it has added to a wider conversation about what counts as a debut studio.
FAQ
What is Megabonk?
Megabonk is a solo developed roguelite inspired by Vampire Survivors, focused on waves of enemies, simple controls, and fast-paced upgrades.
Why did the developer of Megabonk withdraw from The Game Awards?
They stated on X that Megabonk is not their first game and did not feel it was fair to stay in a category meant for first time indie creators.
Is the Megabonk developer actually Dani?
This remains speculation. Fans compare details from both creators’ past work, but nothing has been confirmed by either party.
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