As expected, Hamster Kombat took a snapshot of player progress this past Friday, marking the end of the season as the tap-to-earn Telegram game prepares to launch its HMSTR token and airdrop on September 26. Players will now enter an “interlude” phase.
Hamster Kombat’s “Interlude season” has officially launched on Telegram, removing many familiar features while the developers figure out how to distribute airdrop rewards to players. In-game currencies are gone, and tapping the home screen no longer yields any rewards. The upgrade list and Mine menu have also been completely removed.
Instead, players can earn diamonds by playing the base game and co-op, inviting friends, following the game's social media accounts, and watching Hamster Kombat videos on YouTube. A new submenu called Mine has also been introduced in the Playground menu, allowing players to purchase and upgrade startup-themed cards with diamonds, while also earning more diamonds.
The implications of these changes are unclear. The developers have promised a new season with play-to-earn rewards after the airdrop, but this phase appears to be temporary, in preparation for what will happen after the HMSTR token launches.
Telegram’s tap-to-earn games have attracted millions of potential new users to The Open Network (TON). However, the surge in Hamster Kombat and Catizen players could put significant pressure on the network, TON developers have warned.
“TON will face a lot of technical pressure and some unforeseen issues may arise.”
The HMSTR token will be released on The Open Network on September 26, with airdrop details expected to be announced before then. With over 300 million players to date and around 100 million active players over the past month, TON developers have stressed that airdrop demand could have a negative impact on the network.
