Hamster Kombat Popularity Explodes As Russia, Uzbekistan And Ukraine Issue Warnings To Players

Updated: 24 June 2024

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The viral success of Telegram clicking game Hamster Kombat has triggered alarm in Russia and Eastern Europe, where officials have taken to warning their people about its risks.

The game has amassed 150 million players globally, more than Russia’s 144 million population, in just a few months, and it added 50 million players in just a week earlier this month.

That’s triggered alarm among governments as youngsters become addicted to tapping their screens in the hope of earning massive rewards.

“You need to remember that you can’t make big money in such a simple way,” said Russian lawmaker Anton Tkachev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, local media reported.

Players in Uzbekistan have been threatened with 15 days of detention or a fine if they attempt to cash out the in-game rewards through a crypto exchange.

And Ukrainian officials have said the game is dangerous because of its apparent links to Russia.

One of the main driving factors that has ignited this interest in the game is its developers’ promise that its in-game tokens will be listed on crypto exchange platforms. Should this happen, players will be able to redeem their earnings for physical cash.

Reputable crypto exchange Gate.io has already announced the launch of pre-market trading for the crypto.

Hamster Kombat Popularity Surges

Hamster Kombat’s gameplay is relatively simple, and requires players to tap a hamster in order to win crypto.

So far, government warnings about its dangers have done little to slow Hamster Kombat’s exploding popularity.

dear @MrBeast, we have something to say 🐹 https://t.co/ZrfeEWWqFN pic.twitter.com/RqelWLu0Wi

— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) June 14, 2024

In addition to its massive following on Telegram, the game has around 21 million YouTube subscribers, and a following on the social media platform X of 8.9 million.

While the game’s success is triggering alarm in many nations, for the GameFi sector the buzz around it is a boon.

GameFi cryptos are already a booming sector with investors flocking recently to buy Tamagotchi remake PlayDoge (PLAY). It’s already raised more than $4.8 million in a little more than three weeks, making it one of the most successful GameFi ICOs of the year.

Other GameFi presales that might benefit include Mega Dice (DICE), which offers a menu of over 4,500 games, and the play-to-earn project eTukTuk (TUK), best known for its Tuktuk Crazy Taxi game.