Hamster Kombat Ended in a Mass Exodus of 260 Million Players

Did Hamster Kombat’s viral rise lead to its own downfall? How did 260 million players disappear within months, leaving the game a shadow of its former self?

From explosion to dust

Hamster Kombat (HMSTR), the once-famous win-win game on Telegram, looked set to rise to fame in blockchain gaming, amassing a jaw-dropping 300 million users within months of its launch in March 2024.

But surprisingly, this viral sensation experienced an 86% drop in active users, falling to just 41 million as of November 2024, facing one of the most dramatic declines in crypto gaming history.

.@hamster_kombat Lost nearly 260 million players in just three months

In August, the win-win Telegram game Hamster Kombat, which had a massive user base of 300 million, reportedly lost 259 million players.

The game’s current monthly active player count is… pic.twitter.com/vVfwhbI4E6

— ICO Drops (@ICODrops) November 4, 2024

The value of the game’s token, HMSTR, has also fallen by more than 76%, falling from a September high of $0.01004 to just $0.0024 as of November 5, raising doubts about the stability of the project.

Behind this exodus lies a series of interconnected setbacks: delayed airdrops, poor user experience, government criticism and controversial player bans.

Could the game’s ambitious goals be the seeds of its undoing? Let’s dive into the numbers, strategies, and reactions to find out what led to Hamster Kombat’s massive decline.

The rise and promise of Hamster Kombat

Hamster Kombat started with an ambitious promise: to make blockchain games accessible to everyone. Much of the game’s appeal comes from its simplicity. No need for game consoles, advanced computers or complex controls; players simply touched and won in return.

Even Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, hailed it as “the world’s fastest-growing digital service,” citing its potential to redefine how people interact with blockchain technology.

People from all over the world suddenly became part of this evolving virtual ecosystem; Here tapping became the new mining and the tokens they collected had real value.

However, the game itself failed to engage players. Initial excitement around the tap-to-win model quickly faded as players found the gameplay repetitive and shallow.

Without new challenges, Hamster Kombat began to lose its appeal, leaving users with little reason to return, especially as the HMSTR token continues to lose value.

The AI-generated graphics, which initially seemed interesting, were also criticized for feeling cheap and uninspiring, reinforcing the perception that Hamster Kombat was more of a cash grab than a well-crafted gaming experience.

The simplicity that initially attracted users became a source of disappointment, and the game’s high hopes for sustainability were faced with challenges that even a large user base could not solve.

Airdrop disappointment and ban backlash

One of Hamster Kombat’s most anticipated events was the coin airdrop held in late September to reward player loyalty and participation.

Expectations rose as nearly 129 million players became eligible to receive HMSTR tokens. But what was supposed to be a celebratory event caused players to walk away in droves.

The airdrop disappointed many users, not only because of the delays but also because of the surprisingly low value of its rewards.

Some players who spent hours developing the game found their winnings were only between $1 and $10; This was a fraction of what they were hoping for, leading some to label the airdrop as “dust”.

To make matters worse, the airdrop rollout was marred by delays and technical glitches. Originally promised as a simple distribution, the airdrop faced many delays that tested players’ patience.

When it finally happened, the discontent among the user base was palpable. Many players took to social media to vent their frustrations, with some claiming they were deceived by what they saw as broken promises.

This backlash severely damaged the game’s reputation and turned the airdrop from an incentive to a point of contention.

The debate did not end there. Hamster Kombat has introduced a new anti-cheat system as well as airdrop, which aims to prevent fraudulent activities.

This system, which aims to protect real players, resulted in the banning of approximately 2.3 million accounts and the seizure of approximately 6.8 billion HMSTR tokens. Many players felt blindsided by these sudden restrictions, as even legitimate users fell into the trap.

Some felt that the blanket bans were too harsh and that the confiscations only increased resentment, leaving a large portion of the player base feeling alienated and mistreated.

The fallout was swift. Disappointment with the airdrop, combined with major bans, fueled a wave of user departures. By early November, Hamster Kombat’s once formidable user base had dwindled to 41 million monthly active players; this was a fraction of its peak of 300 million.

The ripple effect of government scrutiny and public skepticism

Hamster Kombat’s meteoric rise wasn’t just on players’ radars; It has also attracted the attention of governments, and not always in a positive way.

In some areas, officials expressed concern about the game’s impact, viewing it as more than harmless fun. As the user base grew, so did the scrutiny, with some officials calling the game a “destructive force” in their communities.

In Iran, the reaction was particularly strong. The game caught the attention of the country’s military authorities, who were concerned that Hamster Kombat was distracting from political issues.

An Iranian deputy military chief went so far as to call it a “soft tool” used by the West to distract citizens from national priorities and undermine the country’s religious governance, positioning it as a digital disruptor with purposes beyond simple entertainment.

The situation was similar in Russia; The chairman of the State Duma Committee took an even harsher stance, branding Hamster Kombat a “scam” and calling for an outright ban.

Hamster Kombat’s developers also had to address their connection to Gotbit, a cryptocurrency marketplace maker currently under investigation in the US for fraud.

While authorities filed criminal charges against Gotbit for market manipulation, Hamster Kombat publicly distanced itself from the company.

Dear CEOs,

We are committed to ensuring transparency within the Hamster Ecosystem.

In light of the recent news regarding Gotbit, we would like to clarify that Hamster Kombat has never worked with Gotbit as a market maker.

— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) 12 October 2024

Despite these efforts, users continued to question the stability of the HMSTR token, which has already suffered a significant loss of value.

What’s next for HMSTR?

The sharp decline in Hamster Kombat’s player base and token price has led many in the crypto community to ask: Is this just a stumble, or has the game reached the point of no return?

One of the most pressing concerns is the breakdown of trust; Disappointed users feel that Hamster Kombat “betrayed the trust of its community.”

❌ Enough is enough Hamster Kombat ❌

Hamster Kombat betrayed the trust of its community through deceptive practices and prioritized influencers over real users. It’s time to hold them accountable and demand justice.
😥😥🙏🙏💯🤝 pic.twitter.com/nBaGHRPYQz

— Caleb (@Canny5b23n) November 2, 2024

The backlash stems from the perception that the game prioritizes influencer partnerships and flashy marketing over a truly user-focused experience.

Many early users who initially hoped for long-term rewards are now disappointed by broken promises, delayed airdrops, and the constant devaluation of the token.

One disappointed player stated that they had “very high hopes” for the game after the first season, but ultimately left feeling disappointed with the experience.

I personally left the game after it disappointed me in the first season, I had high hopes but they cut it short 🥺

— Millie (@origanalybohay) November 5, 2024

Another big concern has been the ongoing decline in the value of the HMSTR token. As one observer noted, the token’s price chart is in “freefall” and many users are predicting that delistings are “probably imminent.”

This guess is not unfounded; Projects that fail to maintain traction or stabilize their token value are often pushed aside by major exchanges due to low trading volume and high volatility.

For Hamster Kombat, rebuilding user trust and stabilizing the HMSTR token will require not only operational adjustments but also clear communication. This includes rethinking game mechanics, improving reward quality, and truly engaging with the community.

The broader takeaway here is that crypto games must move beyond promises to deliver real value if they want to escape the increasingly suspicious eyes of their audiences.