TLDR
- Game lost 259 million players (86% drop) in under 3 months
- Competitor Paws gained 20.5 million users in just 8 days
- HMSTR token fell 66% from its peak price
- Total wallet holders reached 3.5 million despite user decline
- Game faces regional political challenges and bans
In a dramatic shift within the mobile gaming landscape, Telegram-based game Hamster Kombat has experienced an unprecedented decline in its user base, losing 259 million players in less than three months.
The tap-to-earn game, which once boasted a robust community, now reports just 41 million monthly active users as of November 5, 2024.
The numbers paint a stark picture of the gaming platform’s current trajectory. With an 86% reduction in its player base since August, Hamster Kombat’s decline coincides with the emergence of a new competitor in the Telegram gaming space.
This competitor, Paws, a newly launched Telegram Mini App, has demonstrated remarkable growth in its initial launch phase.
In just eight days, Paws attracted 20.5 million users, suggesting a rapid shift in player preferences within the Telegram gaming ecosystem.
The financial impact of this user exodus is reflected in the performance of Hamster Kombat’s native token, HMSTR.
The digital asset has experienced a 66% decrease from its peak value of $0.007, recorded on September 26, to $0.0024 as of November 5, according to data from CoinGecko.
However, an interesting counterpoint to the declining user numbers emerges in the wallet holder statistics. Despite the sharp drop in active players, the total number of addresses holding HMSTR tokens reached a 30-day high of 3.5 million holders on November 5, as reported by IntoTheBlock.
Paws’ rapid ascent in the market is further evidenced by its wallet integration metrics. The platform reports 10 million connected wallets, suggesting strong user engagement with its financial features.
Additionally, Paws has built a social media following of one million users on X (formerly Twitter).
The challenges facing Hamster Kombat extend beyond market competition. The platform has encountered political headwinds in several regions, with Iranian government officials expressing criticism of the game.
Reports have also emerged suggesting potential bans in Uzbekistan, though these remain unconfirmed.
Regional restrictions and regulatory scrutiny have added another layer of complexity to Hamster Kombat’s operations.
These political challenges have likely contributed to the platform’s difficulty in maintaining its user base in certain geographic areas.
The technical infrastructure of Hamster Kombat remains intact, with the platform continuing to process transactions and maintain its basic gaming functions. The development team maintains active management of the platform’s technical operations.
The gaming platform’s economic model, which includes the HMSTR token as a central component, continues to operate despite the reduced user engagement. Transaction volumes have adjusted to reflect the smaller user base.
Looking at user behavior patterns, data suggests that the migration of players from Hamster Kombat to alternative platforms like Paws occurred gradually over the three-month period, rather than in a single mass exodus.
The development team behind Hamster Kombat has responded to these challenges with new initiatives. Their roadmap includes plans to integrate additional payment systems, expand the game offerings, and introduce NFTs as in-game assets.
Market analysts have tracked the daily active user metrics, noting that the decline has shown signs of stabilizing at the current level of 41 million monthly active users. This suggests a core user base remains committed to the platform.
The platform’s technical performance metrics remain stable, with server uptime and transaction processing continuing to meet operational standards despite the reduced user load.
Recent data from November 5 shows that while new user acquisition has slowed, the platform continues to process gaming transactions and maintain its core services for the remaining active users.
