239 Million Users in 81 Days: Hamster Kombat Takes Over

Hamster Kombat, a Telegram mini-app, has become a phenomenon in the digital gaming landscape since its launch in March 2024, rapidly garnering over 200 million players.

Its astonishing growth has drawn significant attention from Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, who posits that the game’s impending token launch on the TON blockchain could be a catalyst for introducing hundreds of millions to Web3 technologies.

Durov’s Public Address

In a detailed public address to his 2.7 million followers on Telegram, Durov elaborated on the game’s booming success, noting its milestone of attracting 100 million monthly users within a mere 73 days of launch.

This exceptional growth rate positions Hamster Kombat as one of the fastest-growing digital services worldwide, with daily new user increments ranging between 4 to 5 million.

The anticipation surrounding Hamster Kombat extends to its token airdrop, the date of which remains unspecified. The game’s roadmap, available on its official website, reveals that key developments such as onchain infrastructure and in-game wallet integrations were finalized by June 2024.

Players have been able to connect their TON wallets to the game since then, preparing for the full benefits of blockchain integration. Durov expressed his excitement about this development, emphasizing that “A new era is arriving, and we are witnessing its arrival in real-time.”

The game itself is not just a source of entertainment but also serves as a platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain education. Described by its developers as a “crypto exchange CEO simulator,” Hamster Kombat eschews the conventional formats of clicker or tapper games.

Players start as a bald hamster who takes on the role of a cryptocurrency exchange CEO. The gameplay revolves around tapping the hamster avatar to generate in-game coins, with a pivotal mechanic that encourages users to buy exchange upgrades to boost their profit per hour.

Social Engagement and Content Creation

Moreover, Hamster Kombat integrates social mechanics and tasks that enhance engagement. Players can earn coins by referring friends, completing daily Morse-code ciphers linked to a secret word in the game’s YouTube videos, or purchasing specific combinations of daily upgrades.

These features not only make the game interactive but also foster a community around daily content creation, with players and content creators producing videos and blog posts that discuss solutions to the game’s challenges.

The game’s YouTube channel has quickly become a powerhouse in digital content, outpacing even the most subscribed channels like Mr Beast. It set a record pace by achieving over 10 million subscribers in less than a week—a milestone that led the team to apply for a Guinness World Record.

This explosive growth is not just a testament to the game’s popularity but also its effective use of content to drive player engagement.

Following a recent post by Durov highlighting the game’s achievements, the developers announced the addition of a final level called ‘The Creator,’ where users must accumulate 18 billion in-game coins to reach.

This new level is designed to extend the game’s lifecycle and keep the community engaged and striving for new heights.

Potential of Web3 Games

As Hamster Kombat continues to evolve, it raises intriguing questions about the potential of Web3 games as an alternative universal basic income (UBI) mechanism.

The game trades players’ time for in-game entertainment, while its YouTube channel provides daily news and educational content on cryptocurrencies, serving as an introduction to the core components of the Web3 ecosystem for newcomers.

The project’s innovative approach to social media growth hacking has led to staggering metrics, with the Hamster Kombat YouTube channel amassing 32 million subscribers since its launch on May 24.

Its profiles on platforms like X and Telegram boast 11.3 million and 49.4 million followers, respectively, indicating a massive, engaged audience.

As the gaming community eagerly awaits more details on the token launch, the implications of Hamster Kombat’s success extend far beyond mere entertainment.

It signifies a shift towards games that not only entertain but also educate and familiarize vast audiences with the potentials of blockchain technology, positioning itself at the forefront of the Web3 revolution.