2025 has quietly become one of the most important years ever for independent developers.
Back in July, roughly four out of every ten top-performing new Steam releases weren’t from blockbuster publishers but from smaller double-A or fully indie teams.
By September, that surge of success was still picking up steam, with mid-budget and self-funded titles outperforming every forecast.
This surge has hit an all-time high, with eight indie titles already topping 100,000 concurrent players on Steam.
The earlier record of seven was established in 2016 and has been equaled just once since.
How Did Megabonk Launch Right Between Two Giants?
At this peak, Megabonk launched on September 18, two weeks after Hollow Knight: Silksong and a week before Hades 2.
Most teams would stay away from big hitters like that, but Megabonk held its ground and thrived.
Within only two weeks, it passed one million copies sold and quickly climbed to over 117,000 concurrent users, enough to push it into Steam’s all-time charts for indie launches.
At its busiest point over the weekend, it reached the sixth spot among the platform’s most-played titles, briefly pushing past big names such as Borderlands 4, Call of Duty, Marvel Rivals, and Baldur’s Gate 3.
How Does the Core Loop Work in Megabonk?
It’s surprising how unassuming it looks at first glance, even though Megabonk takes the Vampire Survivors-inspired auto-shooter roguelike loop and rebuilds it in 3D.
Its worlds feel larger and more inviting to explore, with players tracking down portals and bosses instead of staying put.
Upgrades can push combat builds in radically different directions, and movement plays an even bigger part.
Think of skeletons carving down slopes on boards or a shades-wearing chimp zipping by while spraying weird weapons.
Players describe runs that feel similar enough to be approachable but variable enough to keep them invested.
How Did Megabonk Go From Unknown to a Steam Hit?
Fans have rallied around its comedic edge, loving the fake potato CPU gag, the wink-and-nod memes, and the endless stream of hilarious clips.
That viral shareability has helped it spread fast across Reddit, Twitter/X, and Discord.
It helps that the solo developer, known online as vedinad, has been transparent and endearing, tweeting thanks to players, joking about eating “spaghetti with extra sauce” to celebrate sales, and promising to refine the game while admitting to being overwhelmed by its sudden success.
Megabonk is further proof that cleverly built indie games can rise to the top of the charts, even when surrounded by blockbusters.
It shows that viral word-of-mouth and community buzz can beat marketing budgets, and that players are willing to champion smaller titles that innovate just enough on familiar formulas.
With the year not over and big names like Mina the Hollower and Moonlighter 2 still set to launch, 2025 could easily stretch its indie record further.
If the growth ended at this very moment, Megabonk’s rise to the 100K milestone and its dominance over major titles on Steam’s main stage would still lock it in as one of 2025’s biggest indie wins.
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