Hamster Kombat’s Impact: Telegram’s Rise in Web3 Gaming
With hundreds of millions of users, Telegram’s The Open Network (TON) is rapidly gaining traction through simple, addictive, and fun games built on blockchain technology. Hamster Kombat, in particular, has played a crucial role in this transformation, elevating Telegram to a major player in the Web3 gaming space.
The Unexpected Popularity of Hamster Kombat
Two months ago, the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, was killed in a helicopter crash. During the subsequent election to replace him, a senior official in Iran’s military claimed that millions of Iranians were too distracted by a crypto game called Hamster Kombat to properly vet the candidates. This game, which launched on TON in March, has become so popular that Iran’s deputy chief of the military, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, accused it of being part of the West’s “soft war” on Iran’s government.
Hamster Kombat and its Anonymous Founder
Despite its anonymous founder and the project’s reluctance to grant interviews, Hamster Kombat boasts over 200 million users, 11 million followers on Twitter/X, and 31 million YouTube subscribers. This game is one of several “GameFi” projects on TON experiencing exponential growth. Other popular games include Catizen, with over 23 million users, and Notcoin, with over 40 million users.
The Explosive Growth of TON
Currently, the TON network has amassed 500 million users, and Toncoin’s market cap has surged to $19.4 billion, making it the eighth-largest project in the crypto world. The appeal of TON games lies in their simplicity and fun, attracting a mainstream audience much like NFTs did in 2021. These games are easy to install, play, and connect to crypto, contributing to their widespread popularity.
The Role of Telegram in TON’s Success
Telegram, with over 900 million users, has played a significant role in the success of TON games. Entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to develop games on this “virgin land,” leading to the creation of popular games like Catizen, Notcoin, Yescoin, and Tapswap. These hyper-casual games are designed to be easily played during short breaks, adding to their appeal.
Financial Incentives and User Engagement
TON games also offer financial incentives, such as Airdrops, which have transformed in-game currency into real value. For instance, Notcoin users received an Airdrop that distributed 80 billion Not tokens, allowing them to convert their in-game earnings into real money. This model of “Play-to-Airdrop” has driven user engagement and growth.
A Sustainable Model?
While the growth of TON games is undeniable, there are questions about their sustainability. Critics draw comparisons to Axie Infinity, a previous crypto gaming hype cycle that is now seen as a cautionary tale. However, TON games require no upfront investment and generate revenue through traffic monetization, distinguishing them from Axie Infinity.
The Future of TON
The future of TON games remains uncertain. While some experts, like DeFi analyst David Zimmerman, are skeptical about their long-term viability, others believe that TON’s advantages in user experience and distribution could ensure its continued success. The rapid growth of TON games highlights the platform’s potential to become a major player in the Web3 gaming space.
Whether this growth is sustainable or not, the impact of TON games on the market is significant, as evidenced by their influence reaching even the highest levels of political discourse.
