On September 26, 2024, Hamster Kombat, a popular tap-to-earn Telegram game, finally launched its much-anticipated $HMSTR token across several major exchanges. This event had been eagerly awaited by both loyal players of the game and the wider crypto community. However, what was expected to be a rewarding airdrop turned into one of the most disappointing events in recent crypto history.
Described by some as “one of the worst airdrops in the history of crypto,” the Hamster Kombat airdrop left many frustrated and outraged. Below, we’ll explore five key reasons why this airdrop failed to meet expectations and how these issues unfolded.
1.Unfair Reward Distribution: Favoring Influencers Over Regular Players
One of the primary reasons for the backlash against the Hamster Kombat airdrop was the seemingly unfair distribution of rewards. A large number of participants were suddenly disqualified from receiving their tokens, often just before the event took place. Most of these disqualifications were due to a new “anti-cheat” system implemented by the game’s developers.
Many players, who had spent significant time boosting their points per hour (PPH) to accumulate tokens, found themselves banned without warning. The sudden introduction of this system angered users, especially since many felt they had been unfairly targeted. The timing of the disqualifications raised suspicions that this move was made to benefit influencers and major promoters of the project. According to affected users, a significant portion of the tokens was redirected to influencers, leaving regular players with little to show for their efforts.
This last-minute rule change sparked outrage among the community and created a widespread belief that the airdrop was rigged.
2. Frequent Postponements and Sudden Rule Changes
The road to the Hamster Kombat airdrop was rocky from the beginning. Initially planned for July 2024, the airdrop was postponed several times due to technical issues and unpreparedness. This led to increasing frustration among the community, who had been eagerly waiting for their rewards. The delays severely damaged the trust between the developers and the players.
Finally, in late August, the team promised that the airdrop would occur in September. While they kept this new deadline, the trust lost over the previous delays was hard to recover. Moreover, just days before the airdrop, the developers announced a shocking new rule—participants would only receive 88.75% of their tokens upfront. The remaining 11.25% of tokens would be locked until July 2025.
This sudden and unexpected rule change led to widespread disappointment. Many participants boycotted the airdrop, as they felt they had been misled by the developers and no longer trusted the project.
3. Low Listing Price of the HMSTR Token
One of the biggest disappointments of the Hamster Kombat airdrop was the low listing price of the HMSTR token. Leading up to the event, there was speculation that the token would launch at a price between $0.10 and $0.50. Many YouTubers and influencers promoted this optimistic outlook, creating high expectations among participants.
However, when the token was finally listed, it debuted at just $0.01. The price quickly began to plummet, leaving investors—both long-term and short-term—disillusioned. The rapid decline of the HMSTR token’s value prompted a wave of frustration, with many in the community accusing influencers of misleading them.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) summed up the sentiment, saying, “Where are those YouTubers and influencers who gave the community false hope of $0.10 or $0.50? Hamster Kombat has turned out to be the worst airdrop in crypto history. It’s almost 50%-60% down now.”
4. Difficulty Selling HMSTR Tokens
While the low token value was already a major issue, the problems didn’t stop there. Many participants found that after months of playing Hamster Kombat and engaging with the game’s mechanics, they were left with only a few dollars’ worth of HMSTR tokens. For many, the small payouts were not worth the time and effort spent.
This sentiment was echoed by prominent crypto influencer Crypto with Khan, who commented, “Hamster Kombat has cheated the community. They have allocated a large portion of airdrops to YouTubers and influencers for referrals. They’ve implemented vesting without informing the community. They’ve made people work like labor, day and night to collect keys from their games and gave $5 or $10 tokens.”
Additionally, users with small token amounts faced further difficulties when trying to sell them. Some exchanges, including Binance, have minimum transaction requirements, such as a $5 minimum value per trade. As a result, users with less than this amount found it impossible to cash out their HMSTR tokens, leaving them frustrated and without a way to capitalize on their efforts.
5. Telegram Wallet Outages
As if the issues surrounding the airdrop weren’t enough, technical problems with the Telegram wallet further exacerbated frustrations. The HMSTR token is held within a crypto wallet integrated into Telegram, operated by the TON blockchain. TON, which was built from an abandoned Telegram crypto project, is responsible for managing these wallets and facilitating transactions.
Unfortunately, during the HMSTR token launch, the Telegram wallet experienced significant outages due to network overloads. Many users found themselves unable to access or trade their tokens, compounding the already negative experience of the airdrop.
Lessons from the Hamster Kombat Airdrop Failure
The failure of the Hamster Kombat airdrop offers several valuable lessons for both developers and participants in the crypto space:
1. Transparency is Key: Last-minute rule changes and unclear communication damage trust within a community. Developers need to be transparent about changes and provide ample notice to avoid alienating their user base.
2. Set Realistic Expectations: Overhyping the potential value of a token can backfire if it doesn’t meet those expectations. Influencers and developers should strive for realistic projections to avoid disappointment.
3. Fair Distribution Mechanisms Matter: Favoring influencers or specific groups over regular participants can quickly lead to accusations of unfairness. Ensuring that rewards are distributed equitably helps maintain trust.
4. Technical Preparedness is Crucial: Launching an airdrop or token without ensuring the supporting infrastructure can handle the load results in frustration. Proper testing and contingency plans are essential.
5. Listen to the Community: Developers should pay attention to community feedback and concerns, especially when it comes to airdrops. Ignoring these voices leads to negative sentiment, which can impact the success of the project.
Ultimately, the Hamster Kombat airdrop is a cautionary tale in the crypto world. While airdrops have become a popular tool for promoting projects and engaging communities, mismanagement can lead to widespread discontent. For developers, the lessons from this event will be critical to avoid repeating the same mistakes in future airdrops.
