A Russian financial expert has issued a warning regarding the popular game Hamster Kombat, following a wave of complaints from players after the conclusion of its first season. Many players, particularly from Russia, were disappointed, having anticipated significant financial returns from the game.

According to Victor Pekov, an independent financial crime specialist in the crypto space, some players became “hostages of their own expectations,” assuming they would make substantial profits by participating in the game. Pekov emphasized that the game’s developers never promised large financial rewards.

Speaking with RTVI, Pekov explained that players had overestimated their chances of making money with Hamster Kombat. While some expected to convert their in-game currency into meaningful income, the developers had not made any such claims. Many players, after months of gameplay, earned only $5 to $15, a figure Pekov described as aligned with the game's setup.

“It’s clear that many people using Hamster Kombat aimed to accumulate enough in-game currency to exchange for real money later. However, it’s important to note that the team never made any promises about potential earnings,” Pekov noted.

Some players even resorted to buying massage guns to speed up their tapping efforts. However, developers warned that certain users employed unfair tactics, such as using bots, and these individuals would be excluded from the airdrop.

Additional frustration emerged when developers announced that players would only be able to claim a portion of their token allocations, with the remaining tokens being vested over several months. This has led to disappointment and accusations of the game being a scam from some users.

Despite the controversy, the game's developers have reiterated that no promises of substantial earnings were ever made. With a planned HMS token listing event in September, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop.