Hamster Kombat, once the largest mini-game on Telegram, attracted millions of players and reached 300 million registered accounts by August. However, the fate of the game appears to have changed significantly. According to recent data from Protos, the game now has only 41 million active users monthly - an 86% drop from its all-time high.
Initial hype and significant growth
Hamster Kombat launched with significant fanfare earlier this year. The CEO of Telegram even described it as "the fastest-growing digital service in the world," positioning it as a new frontier for mini-apps and blockchain applications.
The appeal of the game comes from its unique model: integrating blockchain technology into a simple gaming platform accessible through Telegram. Key highlights include:
Tap-to-earn mechanism: Players earn cryptocurrency tokens by engaging in simple, repetitive gameplay.
Cryptocurrency rewards: The HMSTR token was launched at a value of $0.009993 on September 26, attracting users eager to earn and trade rewards.
Celebrity endorsements: Prominent figures in the tech field, including the CEO of Telegram, have promoted this game as a breakthrough that could bring blockchain to a wider audience.
Despite the initial enthusiasm, these features have not been enough to retain players in the long run.
Monotonous gameplay
While Hamster Kombat is rapidly evolving, the game's design and mechanics quickly became a point of criticism. Players found that the AI-generated graphics in the game were hastily stitched together, with images lacking polish.
The tap-to-earn game, while easy to grasp, has also become too repetitive. For many users, the novelty quickly wore off and the incentives were insufficient to offset the lack of engaging content.
Token Airdrop Incident
One of the biggest mistakes of Hamster Kombat was the token airdrop. Initially introduced as a reward for active players, the airdrop has become a significant point of disappointment for many users due to several issues:
Delayed distribution: The game frequently postpones drops, leaving players feeling uncertain and dissatisfied.
Fraud prevention measures: In an effort to curb fraudulent activities, Hamster Kombat implemented a sudden anti-fraud system that led to mass removals. Reports indicate that 2.3 million users were banned and 6.8 billion HMSTR tokens were confiscated.
These actions, although aimed at maintaining fairness, have led to significant backlash. Legitimate players were caught off guard, losing both tokens and trust in the platform.
In Nigeria, where local media closely tracks the game's progress, many players have expressed disappointment with the HMSTR token airdrop. Users reported that after months of effort in the game, they were only able to sell their tokens for minimal value, leaving them feeling scammed.
Controversy and government scrutiny
While Hamster Kombat is struggling to retain users, the game is also under close government scrutiny in many areas.
The Deputy Commander of the Iranian military declared the game a "soft tool" used to distract voters and challenge the Iranian religious authorities. In Russia, the chairman of the State Duma Committee even called it a scam, supporting a ban on the game.
Adding to the controversy, Hamster Kombat recently issued a public disclaimer, distancing itself from Gotbit, a company accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of "market manipulation as a service."
The fallout from these controversies has been reflected in the declining value of the HMSTR token. Since last month, the token price has dropped from $0.0051 to $0.0023, corresponding to a loss of 55%. The market capitalization stands at $152 million at the time of writing.
