Weekly Roundup: GameFi and Tap-to-Earn Key Updates on Telegram

Hamster Kombat Implements Anti-Cheating Plan Ahead of Token Airdrop

Hamster Kombat, a popular Web3 game on Telegram, is implementing a new anti-cheating strategy to maintain fairness and protect its growing player base. The strategy is aimed at curbing exploitative behavior and will issue a "cheating is bad" warning to those engaging in malicious activities. 

With Season 1 ending on September 20, the game is preparing for the launch of Season 2 and a token airdrop on September 26. Additionally, the project has allocated 60% of the total token supply to the player community, forming one of the largest airdrops in crypto history. Major crypto exchanges will facilitate the token airdrop and listing, promoting fair play and rewarding honesty among 300 million users.  

TON Blockchain Secures $30M to Boost Tap-to-Earn and GameFi

The Open Network (TON Blockchain) secured a $30 million investment from Bitget and Foresight Ventures, focusing on accelerating Tap-to-Earn adoption and GameFi within the TON ecosystem. TON has seen significant growth, with on-chain transactions, TVL, and DEX trading volumes surging. The network boasts over 1,000 dApps with millions of users. 

Bitget's investment aligns with TON's expansion, attracting a global user base of 45 million. Recent milestones include surpassing 1 billion total transactions and introducing the W5 smart wallet standard. The collaboration aims to drive innovative solutions and advance mass adoption, building a strong foundation for future projects.  

Pluto Studio Faces Backlash Over Catizen Airdrop Changes

Pluto Studio, developer of the Telegram game 'Catizen', faced backlash after changing the airdrop criteria, without prior disclosure. The player community expressed disappointment as the token allocation was revealed, with some receiving fewer tokens than expected. Pluto Studio had initially announced a 43% token supply to be given to the community, but later only about 30% would be circulating at launch. 

Additionally, due to accounts using scripts to artificially boost vKitty profit speed, the airdrop criteria shifted to focus on factors reflecting genuine player activities, leading to criticism. Besides, some players who invested time instead of money felt baited after Pluto boasted of earning $27 million from paying players. This led to some players using the hashtag #catizenscam on Twitter, highlighting dissatisfaction and outrage. 

On September 20, Catizen's Telegram game introduced an airdrop pass program tied to its CATI token launch on The Open Network (TON). Initially planning a 15% token supply airdrop for players, Catizen faced backlash over allocation discrepancies, with 19% reserved for a future quarterly airdrop campaign through the Airdrop Pass. 

The pass, spanning 90-day cycles, aims to enhance long-term player engagement over 19 seasons, spanning approximately 4 years and 8 months. While players expressed disappointment, the pass will offer points for completing tasks, and the CATI token will be used for pass purchases. Catizen addresses community concerns by committing to transparent token distribution in future seasons.