The overseas audience watching had no idea who John was. In their eyes, Koch was the core developer behind The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Metal Gear: Original Burst Point, so they applauded enthusiastically without hesitation. But for domestic players tuning into the live broadcast, John's face was unmistakable. Confusion immediately erupted across forums, communities, and streaming chats.
"...Who is this? Where's President John? Why isn't he on stage to accept the award?"
"I stayed up all night just to see President John walk up there, what's going on? Why didn't he show up?"
"Maybe the award isn't 'big' enough? Think about it, when Steven won Epic Continent earlier, he didn't go on stage either, right? Best cinematics, best narrative… If President John showed up for something smaller, wouldn't that lower his status?"
The speculation sounded oddly convincing at first, though it left others both amused and exasperated.
"Bro, what are you even talking about? 'Lower his status'? Steven didn't go up because Epic Continent has a dedicated narrative writer! Steven mainly worked on quest structure and gameplay systems. But John? He's the lead developer of Metal Gear: Original Burst Point. And with his background in cinematic training, those scenes were clearly directed by him. If anyone should accept the award, it's definitely President John!"
"Then explain this, why isn't he here?"
"Uh… well… that's a good question!"
The debate intensified, flooding the live broadcast platforms with endless theories. But one possibility was unanimously dismissed: John skipping the ceremony? Impossible. With the overwhelming quality and success of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and only Epic Continent standing as real competition this year, it was practically guaranteed that Skyrim would take home major awards. The only uncertainty was how many.
Meanwhile, on stage, the organizers had clearly anticipated John's absence. They gave a detailed introduction of Koch, emphasizing his critical contributions to both The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Metal Gear: Original Burst Point.
Domestic players weren't particularly interested. Aside from a small group of dedicated fans, most didn't care much about Wang Ye himself. After all, he was… ordinary. In terms of appearance, the more mature Koch simply couldn't compare to John. The difference was obvious. In terms of status, John, the founder of PixelPioneers Games, had not quite reached mythical status in players' minds, but he was undeniably among the elite.
Overseas players, upon realizing that the man on stage wasn't the true mastermind behind The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, grew even more curious about John. Then came a series of announcements:
Best Action Game of the Year.
Best FPS Game of the Year.
One major award after another.
When it was time to announce Best RPG of the Year, the audience didn't even wait for the host to finish reading the nominees. Cheers erupted in advance. There was no suspense.
Epic Continent.
As its CG trailer played once more, Steven finally took the stage, smiling as he accepted the award before quickly stepping down.
Next came Best Action-Adventure Game. Just like before, the crowd erupted again. As the cheers echoed through the venue, rapid-fire clips flashed across the giant screen, until finally, the massive wings of the dark dragon Alduin spread wide, accompanied by a thunderous roar. When the host announced The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, the applause reached another peak.
Among the competing developers seated in the audience, many could only smile bitterly. This year had been utterly devoid of suspense. Bad luck, really. To release games in the same year as Epic Continent and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, what chance did anyone else have? Still, they applauded sincerely. At the same time, curiosity lingered in their minds. What kind of person could create a game like this? They'd heard he was young, very young.
Then, under countless watchful eyes, from industry insiders to domestic and international players alike, Koch stood up once again, wearing a polite yet slightly awkward smile, and walked toward the stage.
…?
…??
…???
You again?! The entire audience stared at him in disbelief as he accepted the trophy, expressions frozen somewhere between confusion and disbelief. What is going on?! Where is President John?! Why is it you again?!
At that moment, players all over the world were completely bewildered. Could it be… John really hadn't come?
Before the speculation could spiral further, the host quickly revealed the truth. Fireworks exploded across the screen. Soft wedding piano music began to play. A video appeared, completely unrelated to any game.
Overseas players were stunned. Domestic players were utterly shocked. This was… a wedding!? President John… and Luna… got married?! And there was no prior announcement?!
Every viewer froze for a moment. Then, almost simultaneously, they abandoned the live stream and rushed to check social media. Sure enough, executives from PixelPioneers Games, John, Luna, Armani, and others, had all shared the same wedding video along with heartfelt messages.
"Damn… they hid it this well?!"
"No wonder he didn't show up, he was getting married?!"
Back at the awards venue, as the host explained the situation, overseas audiences finally understood. Their eyes widened in disbelief. He skipped the ceremony… to get married?!
For a brief moment, silence filled the hall. Then, thunderous applause erupted. Instead of dissatisfaction, there was only admiration and blessing. Players from all over the world expressed their congratulations in their own ways. After all, if there was ever a reason to miss an awards ceremony… This might just be the most romantic one imaginable. At the same time, many realized that this moment would undoubtedly become a legendary story in gaming history.
As the short video concluded, the atmosphere gradually settled. The ceremony moved toward its climax. The two most prestigious awards remained:
Game of the Year.
Best Player of the Year.
Each category had only two nominees: The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Epic Continent
Amid roaring cheers and applause, the promotional trailers for both games played once more on the massive screen. Then, the screen faded to black.