The Golden Joystick Awards' Best Game Adaptation went to a self-released horror film. Iron Lung, written, directed, edited by and starring Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach, won the public-voted category at the 44th ceremony in London yesterday. The Golden Joysticks' announcement called it "the terrifying Iron Lung" and congratulated "director @markiplier," and the post has passed 15,000 likes. Check out the official post down below:
Iron Lung beat 5 other nominees for the award: Fallout Season 2, Resident Evil, Exit 8, Mortal Kombat II and Devil May Cry Season 2.
From A 2022 Indie Game To A Theatrical Release
Iron Lung is based on David Szymanski's 2022 game of the same name, a short horror game where the player pilots a sealed submarine through an ocean of blood using only a camera to see outside. Markiplier had played the game on his YouTube channel, and he announced the film adaptation with a teaser trailer on April 21, 2023. He wrote and funded it himself, and Szymanski was involved from pre-production, helping with the story and visiting the set during filming.
The film follows Simon, a convict played by Markiplier, who is sent to a newly discovered moon after an event called the "Quiet Rapture" causes the stars, inhabited planets and most of humanity to vanish. He is forced to pilot the SM-13, a submarine with a sealed porthole nicknamed the "Iron Lung," through the moon's ocean of blood in exchange for his freedom. The cast also includes Caroline Rose Kaplan as Ava, Troy Baker as David, Elsie Lovelock and Elle LaMont as the voice of the Monster, Seán "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin as Jack, and Alanah Pearce. Szymanski has a cameo as himself, and Andrew Hulshult composed the score, his first for a film. Markiplier's final trailer for the film is below:
Filming In Austin With 80,000 Gallons Of Fake Blood
Filming took place in Austin, Texas, with Markiplier producing alongside Will Hyde and Jeff Guerrero, and it wrapped on April 29, 2023. Markiplier said during production that Iron Lung would use more fake blood than any other horror film. In a livestream on December 7, 2025, he put the final total at over 80,000 gallons, and he went to the hospital during the shoot after getting too much of it in his eyes. The release was delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, since Markiplier is a member of the union. He had previously written and directed the YouTube Original films A Heist with Markiplier and In Space with Markiplier, and Iron Lung is his feature-length directing debut.
Iron Lung's Release
Markiplier released Iron Lung in theaters across North America on January 30, through his own Markiplier Studios. It also opened in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and some European territories. Box office tracking puts its worldwide total at $51.2 million, with $41.1 million from the US and Canada. On May 29, the film arrived digitally on YouTube Movies and Google TV in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Troy Baker, who plays David in Iron Lung, was also nominated for Best Supporting Performer for playing Nathaniel Essex in Marvel's Wolverine. That award went to Grace Saif for PRAGMATA.
The Rest Of The Golden Joysticks
Iron Lung was 1 of 25 winners at the Golden Joystick Awards 2026, 22 of which were decided by public vote. Resident Evil Requiem won Ultimate Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Best Game Trailer and Best Lead Performer, Crimson Desert won PC Game of the Year, and MECCHA CHAMELEON matched Requiem's 4 wins.
Markiplier was also named as a nominee for a separate fan-voted creator prize this year, the Creator Impact Award, as covered in Resident Evil Requiem And Pragmata Pick Up Several Nominations At The First Fandom Awards.
Did Iron Lung deserve Best Game Adaptation over Fallout Season 2 and Mortal Kombat II?
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