diff --git a/scripts/test_verify_agones_allocation_response.py b/scripts/test_verify_agones_allocation_response.py
index 6e4faa1a..2c31b37b 100644
--- a/scripts/test_verify_agones_allocation_response.py
+++ b/scripts/test_verify_agones_allocation_response.py
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ from verify_agones_allocation_response import validate_allocation
 
 def response(**overrides):
     document = {
+        # Mirrors Agones' real GameServerAllocationStatus, which is flat.
+        # These fixtures previously encoded a nested "gameServer" object that
+        # Agones never returns, so the suite agreed with the validator while
+        # both disagreed with reality.
         "status": {
             "state": "Allocated",
-            "gameServer": {
-                "metadata": {"name": "cosmic-clash-game-abc"},
-                "status": {
-                    "address": "10.0.0.7",
-                    "ports": [{"name": "game", "port": 31001}],
-                },
-            },
+            "gameServerName": "cosmic-clash-game-abc",
+            "address": "10.0.0.7",
+            "ports": [{"name": "game", "port": 31001}],
         }
     }
     document["status"].update(overrides)
@@ -34,28 +34,28 @@ class AgonesAllocationResponseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_rejects_missing_identity_or_address(self):
         missing_name = response()
-        missing_name["status"]["gameServer"]["metadata"] = {}
+        missing_name["status"]["gameServerName"] = ""
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             validate_allocation(missing_name)
 
         missing_address = response()
-        missing_address["status"]["gameServer"]["status"]["address"] = "0.0.0.0"
+        missing_address["status"]["address"] = "0.0.0.0"
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             validate_allocation(missing_address)
 
     def test_rejects_ambiguous_or_invalid_game_ports(self):
         duplicate = response()
-        duplicate["status"]["gameServer"]["status"]["ports"].append({"name": "game", "port": 31002})
+        duplicate["status"]["ports"].append({"name": "game", "port": 31002})
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             validate_allocation(duplicate)
 
         wrong_name = response()
-        wrong_name["status"]["gameServer"]["status"]["ports"] = [{"name": "query", "port": 31001}]
+        wrong_name["status"]["ports"] = [{"name": "query", "port": 31001}]
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             validate_allocation(wrong_name)
 
         invalid_port = response()
-        invalid_port["status"]["gameServer"]["status"]["ports"][0]["port"] = 70000
+        invalid_port["status"]["ports"][0]["port"] = 70000
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             validate_allocation(invalid_port)
 
diff --git a/scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py b/scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py
index d93116d8..e2eac9cf 100644
--- a/scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py
+++ b/scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py
@@ -11,26 +11,26 @@ def validate_allocation(document: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[str, int]:
     if not isinstance(status, dict) or status.get("state") != "Allocated":
         raise ValueError(f"allocation state is {status.get('state') if isinstance(status, dict) else None!r}, expected 'Allocated'")
 
-    game_server = status.get("gameServer")
-    if not isinstance(game_server, dict):
-        raise ValueError("allocation did not return a GameServer")
-    metadata = game_server.get("metadata")
-    name = metadata.get("name") if isinstance(metadata, dict) else None
+    # GameServerAllocationStatus is flat: state, gameServerName, address,
+    # ports, nodeName. It does not embed the allocated GameServer object. This
+    # validator originally read status.gameServer.metadata.name and
+    # status.gameServer.status.{address,ports}, and its tests asserted that
+    # same invented shape, so both agreed with each other and neither agreed
+    # with Agones -- undetected because the gate never once got far enough to
+    # allocate anything.
+    name = status.get("gameServerName")
     if not isinstance(name, str) or not name.strip():
-        raise ValueError("allocation GameServer has no metadata.name")
+        raise ValueError("allocation did not return a gameServerName")
 
-    game_status = game_server.get("status")
-    if not isinstance(game_status, dict):
-        raise ValueError("allocation GameServer has no status")
-    address = game_status.get("address")
+    address = status.get("address")
     if not isinstance(address, str) or not address.strip() or any(char.isspace() for char in address):
         raise ValueError(f"allocation returned an invalid address: {address!r}")
     if address in {"0.0.0.0", "::"}:
         raise ValueError(f"allocation returned an unspecified address: {address!r}")
 
-    ports = game_status.get("ports")
+    ports = status.get("ports")
     if not isinstance(ports, list):
-        raise ValueError("allocation GameServer has no ports")
+        raise ValueError("allocation returned no ports")
     game_ports = [
         entry.get("port")
         for entry in ports
diff --git a/scripts/verify_kind_agones.sh b/scripts/verify_kind_agones.sh
index d05015a6..661f2c70 100755
--- a/scripts/verify_kind_agones.sh
+++ b/scripts/verify_kind_agones.sh
@@ -206,4 +206,13 @@ spec:
 EOF
 kubectl create -f "$work_dir/allocation.yaml" -o json > "$work_dir/allocation.json"
 
-python3 scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py "$work_dir/allocation.json"
+# Print the response when validation fails. work_dir is deleted by the EXIT
+# trap, so a mismatch between what Agones returns and what the validator
+# expects is otherwise unknowable from CI -- which is exactly how a validator
+# reading a field Agones never sends survived undetected.
+if ! python3 scripts/verify_agones_allocation_response.py "$work_dir/allocation.json"; then
+  echo "--- allocation response as returned by Agones ---" >&2
+  cat "$work_dir/allocation.json" >&2 || true
+  echo >&2
+  exit 1
+fi