Hamster Kombat racks up hundreds of millions of users: behind the hit new blockchain game

Hamster Kombat, a clicker game based on the Telegram-based blockchain The Open Network (TON) is making headlines as one of the fastest-growing apps in history. Since its launch in March 2024, the game has amassed over 200 million players, positioning itself as a groundbreaking force in the realm of play-to-earn gaming. This viral success story raises intriguing questions about the future of blockchain gaming and the innovative marketing strategies that can drive such explosive growth.

Record-breaking success

Hamster Kombat is the third-fastest app to reach 150 million users, having achieved this in just 77 days. This puts the Telegram-based game just behind Pokémon GO, which set the record in 2016 having reached 150 million users in 33 days. The top record holder is actually Threads, Instagram's competitor to X, which achieved the same feat in just six days in 2023.

In a post shared with his 2.7 million Telegram subscribers, Telegram Founder Pavel Durov emphasized the game's phenomenal rise and highlighted its imminent token launch on the TON blockchain, which could significantly boost the adoption of Web3 technologies. Since its debut in March 2024, Hamster Kombat has drawn in over 200 million players.

Durov shared some impressive statistics about Hamster Kombat, noting that it reached 100 million monthly users in just 73 days, with the latest figure standing at 239 million users in 81 days. The Telegram mini app is gaining 4-5 million new users daily, making it one of the fastest-growing digital platforms globally.

What is Hamster Kombat? How does it work?

In Hamster Kombat, players start as shaved hamsters, who are also the newly appointed CEOs of a cryptocurrency exchange. While tapping the avatar to earn coins is the core mechanic, players must also spend points to purchase upgrade cards for their exchange, enhancing their profit per hour.

Exchange upgrades enable passive point generation, and the game includes an upgradable energy meter to limit constant tapping and prevent the use of bots to hack the reward system.

Although this resembles many clicker games on mobile platforms, Hamster Kombat describes itself as a ‘crypto exchange CEO simulator’ rather than a simple ‘clicker’ or ‘tapper’ game. The game's mechanics also simulate investment in commodities, deploying PR campaigns, obtaining legal licenses, and other special events that encourage a deeper layer of strategy than mindless clicking. Crypto enthusiasts will also enjoy the various in-jokes and references to the crypto community and events featured in the game.

Of course, Hamster Kombat also has buttons to share the game on social media accounts and promote it to friends, rewarding players who share the game with bonus coins.

Games like Hamster Kombat can be seen as an evolution of the play-to-earn model that was popularized by blockchain games like Axie Infinity (AXS), with its NFT game creatures and AXS governance token. The player base has exploded in three months through a mix of gaming and social mechanics. Players hope their dedication will be rewarded with future airdrops, similar to those offered by Hamster Kombat's predecessor, Notcoin (NOT).

According to Sébastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox metaverse, the impressive growth of Telegram-based games reflect the high level of innovation in the industry. "This rapid expansion underscores the network effect of Web3. These platforms can achieve extraordinary scales in mere weeks or months," said Borget.

A social media sensation

Simply having access to the Telegram app's vast social network of users (over 700 million) gives Hamster Kombat an edge when it comes to self-promotion. However, Hamster Kombat players can also boost their coin accumulation through missions, such as following Hamster Kombat's social media accounts and watching videos on their YouTube channel. These tasks incentivize players to become evangelists for the game, driving Hamster Kombat's social media growth.

According to figures released on 28 June, Hamster Kombat can boast over 46.8 million Telegram subscribers and 30.2 million YouTube subscribers. Hamster Kombat's in-game mechanics are closely tied to its YouTube content and social media channels. The game's YouTube page is surpassing subscription numbers of globally renowned channels like MrBeast.

The team behind Hamster Kombat has even applied for a Guinness World Record for being the first YouTube channel to gain over 10 million subscribers in one week (six days, 13 hours, and 15 minutes), among other milestones. Since its launch on 24 May, the Hamster Kombat YouTube channel has amassed 473,709,858 views and earned $5.2 million, with daily ad revenue reaching significant spikes.

Hamster Kombat's design has also encouraged content creators on social media platforms to create guides, tutorials and tips that further spread the game's popularity. The game releases daily 'ciphers' and challenges that must be completed within a tight time limit. Successfully solving daily ciphers or completing combo challenges can earn players millions of points.

These features have spurred a wave of user-generated tutorials on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. However, the community doesn't always play by the rules. You can also see players attempting to sell Hamster Kombat accounts or bot clickers as the development team attempts to quash cheaters through the use of the energy system and other measures.

Amusingly, Hamster Kombat's runaway popularity has even made waves in geopolitics—Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Iran's deputy chief of the military, accused "that Hamster Game" of being a CIA psyop against Iran's government, claiming that the game distracts citizens from paying attention to their presidential candidates.

Potential for the crypto and Web3 industry

Hamster Kombat may be more engaging than the average clicker game, but like with many Web3 GameFi projects, many players are in it for the money. The developers have announced plans to launch the Hamster Kombat token on the TON blockchain, though the airdrop date remains unconfirmed. Players can connect their TON wallets in the game in preparation for the upcoming token listing.

Pavel Durov has spoken about the much-anticipated token airdrop for Hamster Kombat, although the exact date remains unannounced. 

"Soon, Hamster's team will mint its token on TON, bringing the benefits of blockchain to hundreds of millions. We are witnessing the dawn of a new era," Durov stated.

Hamster Kombat's website suggests that the in-game token utility will be available by July 2024. The project's roadmap indicates that its on-chain infrastructure was completed in June. Despite there being no specific launch date, players have been able to link TON wallets within the game since June 2024.

The developers have actively promoted the game on Telegram, X and YouTube, emphasizing that the key metric for players ahead of the token launch is profit per hour.

Following Durov's post, Hamster Kombat announced the introduction of a final level for players' Hamster avatars. This ultimate level, termed 'The Creator,' requires players to accumulate 18 billion in-game coins, which will no doubt encourage them to promote the game on social media to earn bonus coins.

Whether Hamster Kombat will have staying power in the long term remains to be seen, but with its record-breaking numbers so far, the airdrop is likely to spur a major event in crypto trading.

Get ready for the future of crypto with StormGain

Hamster Kombat's explosive growth, innovative mechanics and potential Guinness World Record achievements highlight the game's significant impact on the Web3 gaming landscape. As the game continues to evolve, it could pave the way for future innovations in blockchain and cryptocurrency gaming.

Traders looking to position themselves to take advantage of the latest innovations in the cryptocurrency space need robust and reliable tools for crypto trading. This is where StormGain comes in.

StormGain is an all-in-one cryptocurrency trading platform that offers a comprehensive suite of tools for both novice and experienced traders. 

If you're inspired by the success stories of games like Hamster Kombat and eager to explore the dynamic world of cryptocurrency trading, StormGain is the perfect platform to start your journey. Its powerful features and user-centric design make it an ideal choice for anyone looking to capitalize on the crypto market's opportunities.

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