Fans Lock In The Final Five For Players Voice 2025
The Game Awards 2025 are almost here and the all important Players Voice finalists have been revealed. Unlike most categories that are decided by a jury, Players Voice is completely fan voted. It is essentially a popularity contest driven by which community can rally the hardest.
This year the final five games battling it out for the fan crown are:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Genshin Impact
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Wuthering Waves
Each of these games comes with its own dedicated fanbase and very different flavor. From stylish adventure to massive live service hits and long awaited sequels, the final round is going to come down to which community turns up and clicks vote the most.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks like the obvious favorite if you look at nominations alone. It has been appearing in nearly every qualifying category across The Game Awards this year which makes it a serious contender for a sweep. But Players Voice is a different beast. Public voting means that a heavily organized or passionate community can easily overturn what the industry might consider the safe choice.
Megabonk’s Wild Ride To Nowhere
One game that will not be taking home the fan trophy is indie roguelike Megabonk. It has had a surprisingly dramatic journey with The Game Awards this year.
Originally, Megabonk was nominated in the Best Debut Indie Game category. Then the games developer Vedinad voluntarily pulled the game from that category. The reason was pretty straightforward and honest. Despite the nomination, Megabonk is not actually a debut game. Vedinad had already released previous titles under other studio names, so the developer felt it was not right to compete in a category specifically meant for newcomers.
That could have been the end of Megabonk’s awards season story. But a couple of weeks later it made a comeback in a very different place: the Players Voice category. Since that category is open to public voting rather than industry panels, it gave Megabonk a second shot at recognition driven purely by fans instead of technicalities or eligibility rules.
For a while it looked like the game might manage a small redemption arc, carried forward by players who had fallen in love with its offbeat style and gameplay. But as the rounds of voting continued and the field narrowed down, Megabonk eventually fell short of the final cut.
The reveal of the last five nominees confirmed that Megabonk is officially out of the running. There are no more phases or surprise returns left this time.
A Graceful Exit And What Comes Next
Even though Megabonk missed out on a final spot, the way the developer handled the loss says a lot about the connection between indie creators and their communities.
Bucky, the communications director for Palworld, posted on X that Megabonk would forever be the game of 2025 in their mind. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment, Vedinad replied with a heartfelt message that the bonks from players mean more than any trophy. In other words, the people actually playing and enjoying the game matter more than a title on a stage.
For many indie devs this is a familiar reality. Awards are nice, nominations help with visibility and sales, and a fan voted category can push a game into the spotlight. But long term success often depends on building a loyal group of players who keep talking about the game long after the show is over.
Megabonk has already carved out that spot for a lot of people this year. Its absence from the final Players Voice list does not erase the impact it had on players who discovered it, recommended it to friends, and made it part of their 2025 gaming memories.
Meanwhile, The Game Awards 2025 will move forward with its preshow kicking off at 4:30 pm PT and 7:30 pm ET on December 11. Between the big announcements, world premieres, and the final reveal of the Players Voice winner, there will be plenty for PC players to keep an eye on and plenty of new titles to add to wishlists.
For now, the spotlight shifts to the communities behind Clair Obscur, Dispatch, Genshin Impact, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Wuthering Waves. Whichever one can mobilize their players the most effectively is likely to walk away with the fan chosen trophy. But for many smaller games like Megabonk, simply making it into the conversation and winning over dedicated fans may be the real victory of awards season.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-game-awards-reveals-fan-voted-players-voice-nominees-and-im-sorry-to-say-that-megabonk-is-once-again-out-of-the-show/
