Tensions Arise as Players Express Disappointment with Hamster Kombat's Airdrop
On 26 September, the much-anticipated Hamster Kombat airdrop was finally conducted, distributing HMSTR tokens to its users.
🥂 THE MOMENT IS HERE 🥂
🤩 $HMSTR trading has official begun!
🚀 Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs! pic.twitter.com/a0Yy7VRAxb
— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) September 26, 2024
However, the event has left many questioning the future of the tap-to-earn game, as numerous players voiced their disappointment over the rewards.
Several users, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter) described their token payouts as "dust" — a term commonly used in crypto to describe insignificant amounts.
Many frustrated players revealed that their HMSTR rewards were valued at less than $10, with some earning as little as $5 or less.
On-chain activity also reflected this dissatisfaction, with messages on platforms like Tonviewer expressing frustration over the airdrop.
One user posted a sharp rebuke, saying, "Assholes, be cursed with your airdrop!" alongside a Russian translation.
You gave me dust after 4 months
I am killing hamsters, rats, rabbits or anything that looks like a hamster.
It's hunting season.
— Geoffrey Nwankpa (@GeoffreyNwankpa) September 26, 2024
For players who spent months building their virtual CEO roles within the game, the small payouts felt like an insult.
Some even tendered their "resignation" as CEOs.
I Quit my Job as a CEO 🐹
Thanks for your time
— Defi.eth מלך🏴☠️ (@0x3Defi_eth) September 26, 2024
One user reported receiving 331.18 HMSTR tokens, worth just $3.45, leaving them unable to trade the amount on exchanges due to minimum thresholds.
I saw this on my Bybit account 331.18 of $HMSTR worth $3.45! Bybit are you kidding me? pic.twitter.com/gZPEvLeipn
— Nasky (@Sirnasky) September 25, 2024
The sentiment is shared by others who feel that their efforts, spanning several months, were underappreciated.
One player noted they had earned just $8 after four months of gameplay, reinforcing the idea that the airdrop amounted to little more than "dust."
imagine working for 4 months plus. and getting paid $8.
Hamster kombat this one pass DUST, nah Air.#HMSTR pic.twitter.com/Gp69nj1e8y
— Ukaimo🪐 (@pre_shios) September 26, 2024
As discontent grows, Hamster Kombat may face challenges in retaining its player base, who expected more substantial rewards for their engagement.
HMSTR Price Tanks Up to 45% Post Airdrop
The dissatisfaction surrounding Hamster Kombat's airdrop quickly reverberated through the market, causing a sharp decline in HMSTR's value.
The token's price plummeted to approximately $0.007, with CoinGecko reporting a 45% drop from an initial price of $0.012.
Meanwhile, CoinMarketCap recorded a nearly 29% fall from $0.009, highlighting how early volatility can lead to varying prices between platforms.
As of this writing, over 108,000 wallets hold HMSTR, according to Tonviewer.
Notably, a Binance hot wallet holds nearly 18% of HMSTR's circulating supply, indicating that a significant number of Hamster Kombat players transferred their rewards to the exchange.
Hamster Kombat also stated on X that 30 million users had already started trading HMSTR, but cautioned that overwhelming demand could hinder some users' ability to trade the token effectively.
Dear CEOs,
💥 Hamster family is truly an unstoppable force!
🚀 Over two-thirds of the airdrop have already been distributed between our players.
🪙 30+ million users have already started trading $HMSTR, with more joining every second.
🚧 Due to overwhelming demand, you might…
— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) September 26, 2024
This rapid sell-off underscores the growing dissatisfaction among the game's user base.
United States Has Least Amount of Hamster Kombat Players
Although Hamster Kombat has garnered a global audience, recent Google search data reveals its popularity is concentrated primarily in African countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Somalia.
Out of 51 regions tracked by Google Trends, the United States ranked last in search volume.
Binance's conversion service allows users to exchange as little as 1.2 HMSTR for a penny's worth of Tether, a popular stablecoin.
However, some users have pointed out that Binance's spot trading requires a minimum order size of $5 to trade HMSTR for Tether, potentially limiting the ability of smaller holders to liquidate their tokens.
The worst part of HAMSTER KOMBAT Airdrop is that many users airdrop value is not even $5📌
Means they'll not be able to sell it because exchanges don't allow trade below $5 worth 🤐
Even a day labour earn more than this 📌#HamsterKombat $HMSTR pic.twitter.com/Z5HdjKVErW
— Crypto with Khan ( SFZ ) (@Cryptowithkhan) September 26, 2024
