Hamster Kombat: The New Sensation Aiming for a Guinness World Record?
Hamster Kombat: The Third-Fastest App in History to Reach 150 Million Users. Here’s What You Need to Know About This Viral Telegram-Based Game.
The tech world is buzzing with the rapid rise of Hamster Kombat, a Telegram-based game that has hit an astonishing 150 million users in record time. This milestone places it among the fastest-growing apps in history, trailing only behind giants like Pokémon GO and Threads.
Pokémon GO, the beloved augmented reality mobile game from 2016, took 33 days to reach 150 million users. In the summer of 2023, Instagram’s Threads surpassed this feat in just six days. Now, Hamster Kombat is staking its claim as the third-fastest app to achieve this remarkable user growth.
Unprecedented Growth and Popularity
Hamster Kombat’s journey to 200 million users within three months is nothing short of phenomenal.
Sébastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox metaverse, commented on this explosive growth:
“The speed at which Hamster Kombat has expanded shows the incredible potential and reach of Web3 technologies. The network effect is real, and it’s driving these games to unprecedented scales.”
A Unique Gaming Experience
Hamster Kombat stands out with its unique premise, branding itself as a “crypto exchange CEO simulator.” Unlike typical clicker or tapper games, it offers a more engaging experience where players manage virtual cryptocurrency exchanges. The primary objective is to earn as many virtual coins or points as possible, with the promise of future airdrops for dedicated players.
Cointelegraph has explored Hamster Kombat extensively to understand its appeal. The game leverages Telegram’s vast social network, enabling rapid user onboarding and engagement.
Aiming for a Guinness World Record on YouTube
Hamster Kombat’s popularity extends beyond its gameplay. Its YouTube channel has gained over 22 million subscribers within three weeks of launch, outpacing MrBeast, the platform’s top content creator. The team behind Hamster Kombat has applied for a Guinness World Record for the fastest YouTube channel to gain 10 million subscribers, achieving this milestone in just six days, 13 hours, and 15 minutes.
A YouTube expert revealed that Hamster Kombat earns approximately $11 per 1,000 views in advertising revenue. From May 24 to June 26, the channel amassed 473,709,858 views, generating $5.2 million. With an average of 21 million daily views recently, the channel’s daily ad revenue has soared to $230,000.
Not Just Another Clicker Game
In Hamster Kombat, players start as bald hamsters who have just become CEOs of a cryptocurrency exchange. The core gameplay involves tapping to earn coins, but the game also incorporates strategic elements. Players must invest their points in upgrade cards for their exchanges, which include licenses and new trading pairs. These upgrades increase passive earnings, adding a layer of strategy to the game.
The game’s energy meter limits continuous tapping, encouraging strategic play and preventing the use of automated bots. This mechanic, along with various upgrades, boosts players’ hourly profits, a key metric ahead of an anticipated airdrop.
The Anticipated Airdrop
Following the success of Notcoin, Hamster Kombat is set to launch its token on the TON blockchain. While the airdrop date is yet to be confirmed, players are eager for a potentially lucrative reward. The game’s menu indicates that players can connect their TON wallet, preparing for the upcoming token listing.
Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, emphasizes the entertainment value of these games: “While there’s a potential to earn, the primary goal is fun and engagement. I played Notcoin with my family, and we enjoyed it. It’s about the experience, not just the potential rewards.”
Combating Bots and Ensuring Fair Play
Despite boasting 185 million daily users, Hamster Kombat faces challenges with bots and duplicate accounts. Many tutorials and resources online guide users on using auto-clicking bots, potentially skewing the numbers.
However, measures like the energy meter help mitigate these issues. Selling high-level accounts has also emerged as a side hustle, with some listed for over $1,000 on marketplaces like FunPay.
Inal Kardan, head of gaming at TON Foundation, acknowledges the difficulty in determining the exact number of bots but highlights that even with bots, the real user base is significant. He cites Notcoin’s example, where at least 50% of the reported 35 million players were genuine users.
TON’s GameFi Ambitions
The success of games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin has propelled the TON blockchain into the spotlight. Since Notcoin’s launch in January, TON’s daily active users have surged from 16,000 to over 600,000 by June.
Kardan believes that Hamster Kombat’s success can attract millions more to the TON blockchain, establishing it as the premier network for hyper-casual games: “If you want millions of active and engaged users, TON is the best chain to achieve it.”
Hamster Kombat’s rapid ascent and massive user base have made it a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world. Whether it secures a Guinness World Record or not, its impact on the gaming and blockchain industries is undeniable.
