Hamster Kombat: From Viral Success to Reflection, the Web3 Game Ecosystem a Year Later

Hamster Kombat continues to maintain daily activity in early September 2025, focusing on the in-game reward mechanism. The Daily Combo card answers for September 5 have been updated, aimed at enhancing players' mining efficiency and game engagement. Meanwhile, the Daily Cipher code from September 4 unlocked additional rewards through Morse code, attracting millions of players. Community feedback shows that there are still about 3.5 million active players discussing the potential of Season 2 and comparing it with games like Notcoin or Union. The daily active wallets in the TON ecosystem remain stable at 100,000 to 200,000, indicating sustainable growth, despite the early tap-to-earn craze cooling down. Additionally, recent network upgrades (such as the Hamster Network Upgrade on July 16) and card system optimizations (on August 4) aim to improve transaction speed and user experience. These updates reflect Hamster Kombat's shift towards a more mature Web 3 integration in 2025, but also expose market volatility and player disappointment.

Viral Spread on Telegram

Hamster Kombat launched in March 2024 and quickly became a phenomenal product within the Telegram ecosystem. As a tap-to-earn game, it combines a simple clicking mechanism with cryptocurrency rewards, allowing players to accumulate HMSTR tokens by clicking on hamster characters on the screen and managing a virtual exchange. Its core appeal lies in the low entry barrier: no complex devices are needed, just the Telegram app to participate, which has allowed it to rapidly spread in emerging markets like Africa and Asia, attracting over 300 million users. The game incorporates social elements, such as inviting friends and community tasks, further amplifying the viral effect. Compared to early Web 3 games like Axie Infinity, Hamster Kombat places greater emphasis on immediate feedback in "play-to-earn," avoiding the high entry cost barrier. It is not just a game but a "Trojan horse" for Web 3, bringing millions of newcomers into the TON blockchain. However, a year later, many players jokingly claim they were "fooled," as the initial high expectations did not match the actual returns.

Economic Model Analysis

The economic model of Hamster Kombat centers around the HMSTR token, which players earn through daily tasks, upgrading exchanges, and mini-games, and these tokens can be traded on real markets like Binance. This design draws from a hybrid of meme coins and GameFi: the inflation mechanism encourages ongoing participation but also leads to an oversupply of tokens. Optimists point out that the DeFi integration within the TON ecosystem (such as Tonstakers and EVAA Protocol) provides real utility for HMSTR, allowing users to stake TON and borrow in-game. However, bearish views prevail: the token has dropped 65% to an all-time low, influenced by whale sell-offs and disappointment over airdrops, and may further decline to $0.000497 in the short term. The issue lies in inflationary pressure and a lack of essential demand: many players engage in the game purely for speculation, and once the hype fades, the token's value is prone to collapse. This reflects the common dilemma in Web 3 games—sustainable economic models need to balance rewards with scarcity.

The Perfect Combination of Social and Psychological Drivers

The explosive popularity of Hamster Kombat is no accident. It cleverly leverages Telegram's social attributes, transforming the game into a community activity: players share codes, team up for challenges, creating a viral loop. On a psychological level, the tap-to-earn mechanism stimulates dopamine impulses, similar to the instant gratification of gambling, yet lowers the moral threshold under the guise of "making money." This is particularly effective during the economic uncertainty of 2024, with many viewing it as a side hustle, and even students playing during breaks. Like Notcoin, it lowers the entry barrier to Web 3, propelling TON from the fringes to the mainstream: from the peak in 2024 to a stable 100,000 to 200,000 active wallets in 2025. However, this has also sparked controversy: critics label it a "Ponzi game," relying on new user influx to maintain value rather than intrinsic innovation.

Challenges and Risks: From Bubble to Reality Check

Despite its success, Hamster Kombat faces multiple challenges. First is regulatory risk: as a crypto game, it is susceptible to global policy impacts, such as the U.S. scrutiny of meme coins. Secondly, player fatigue is becoming evident: many reflect on last year's "grinding" experiences, complaining about low airdrop returns, leading to community fragmentation. Market volatility exacerbates the issue, with HMSTR's 200-day moving average continuing to decline, indicating a weak trend. Additionally, competition is fierce: new games like Union or Irys XYZ are attracting players away. A deeper issue is the sustainability of Web 3 games: while Hamster Kombat has brought in users, retention relies on real utility rather than hype.