TLDR:
- Catizen developers changed airdrop criteria without prior notice, causing player backlash
- Initial promise of 43% token supply for community reduced to 15% for initial airdrop
- Many players received fewer tokens than expected, some in single digits
- Developers cite bot exploitation as reason for criteria change
- Controversy centers on perceived favoritism towards paying players over active players
The highly anticipated token airdrop for the popular Telegram game Catizen has become embroiled in controversy following unexpected changes to the distribution criteria. Developed by Pluto Studio, Catizen is preparing to launch its CATI token on The Open Network (TON) on September 20, 2024.
However, the reveal of token allocations has left many players feeling shortchanged and questioning the fairness of the distribution process.
Initially, Pluto Studio had announced that 43% of the total token supply would be allocated to the community. This figure was later revised to approximately 30% circulating at launch, with only 15% (150 million tokens) reserved for the initial airdrop to players.
What catizen is saying
✔️Honest players are those who spent money buying stuff in the game
✔️Those who had no funds and played the game every single day (16-24 hours) are cheatersAlso;
✔️Instead of identifying cheaters and banning their accounts, we will reward only those who…— HamstringFCB⚡ (@hamstringFCB) September 15, 2024
The remaining tokens are set to be distributed as play-to-earn rewards in future quarterly seasons.
The change in allocation wasn’t the only surprise for Catizen players. The developers also altered the criteria used to determine individual token allocations.
Originally, players were told that their in-game vKitty earning rate would be the primary factor in deciding airdrop amounts. However, Pluto Studio revealed that they had modified this approach after discovering that some accounts had used scripts to artificially boost their earnings.
In response to this issue, the developers shifted the airdrop criteria to focus on what they deemed more accurate reflections of genuine player activities.
These included on-chain interactions, task completions, and in-game purchases and consumption of fish coins.
This adjustment has led to accusations that the new system favors players who spent money in the game over those who invested significant time.
Many players have taken to social media to express their disappointment with their allocated token amounts. Some users claiming high rankings among millions of players reported receiving as few as 39 CATI tokens. The hashtag “#catizenscam” began trending on Twitter as frustrated players voiced their concerns.
The remaining 19 % of supply goes to the next 8 SEASON airdrop 🤡@CatizenAI you are doing scam #Catizen #CATIScam pic.twitter.com/OoMVwVdSZb
— Pushpendra Singh (@pushpendrakum) September 14, 2024
Adding to the controversy, Pluto Studio announced a partnership with Binance for a Launchpool rewards campaign. This promotion allocates 90 million tokens (9% of the total supply) to Binance customers who stake coins, further reducing the tokens available for the main player base.
Pluto Studio defended their decisions, stating that the changes were necessary to ensure a fair distribution and prevent exploitation by bot accounts. They explained that following the original criteria would have disproportionately rewarded those who had used scripts to boost their earnings at the expense of genuine players.
Many players feel that the last-minute changes and lack of clear explanation have undermined trust in the project.
Some are calling for more detailed breakdowns of the token allocation and clearer guidelines for future distributions.
With the token launch just days away, Pluto Studio faces the task of addressing player concerns and rebuilding trust within the Catizen community.
