Hamster Kombat Token Slides Post-Listing, Strengthening Airdrop Controversy

Airdrop Distribution Details and Tokenomics

The total supply of HMSTR is set at 100 billion tokens, with a community-focused distribution plan. Before the token's exchange launch, 75% (75 billion tokens) was allocated for community distribution, with 60% of this amount (60 billion tokens) handed out to 131 million eligible accounts during the airdrop. 

Of the airdropped tokens, players can claim 88.75% of their allocation immediately, making roughly 53.25 billion tokens accessible right away. The remaining 6.75 billion tokens are vested and will be unlocked 10 months post-listing, around July 2025. Another 15% of the total supply (15 billion tokens) is reserved for "Season 2" distribution, signaling ongoing community involvement. The distribution approach has been highlighted for its "extremely even" nature, where 80% of the airdrop is determined by each player's profit-per-hour rate.

Hamster Kombat Faces Airdrop Backlash

Security and anti-cheat measures took center stage following the token launch, with only 43% of the total user base qualifying for the Season 1 airdrop, sparking widespread frustration. The remaining 57% were disqualified for various reasons, leading to a strong backlash from players. Influencers receiving a larger airdrop than regular community members was also a reason for the community debate.  

As part of a rigorous anti-cheat operation, Hamster Kombat banned 2.3 million users for violations like bot usage and multi-account interactions. One notable case involved a user linking over 400 accounts to a single Binance address, while another flagged player invited nearly 2,000 ‘friends’ using questionable methods. Developers emphasized the importance of integrity, even committing to passing cheaters' IP addresses and contact details to authorities in line with Telegram's new policies.

In an effort to maintain fairness, Hamster Kombat announced that 50% of tokens from disqualified accounts would be redistributed to honest players, while the remaining 50% would be burned. This decision resulted in the confiscation of 6.8 billion tokens, half of which were reallocated to legitimate participants. The burn mechanism potentially enhances the token’s scarcity, which could positively influence its market value. 

However, the community's response was mixed, with many players expressing dissatisfaction over disqualification despite claiming to have played fairly. Web3 influencer Keyur Rohit voiced concerns on social media, stating that honest players were unjustly punished while some cheaters slipped through. Akshay G, another disqualified player, echoed these sentiments, describing his disqualification as both unfair and infuriating.

The change in eligibility criteria also sparked anger among players. Initially, on June 6, Hamster Kombat had set Points Per Hour (PPH) as the main qualification for airdrop eligibility. 

However, the team altered the requirements in July, prioritizing “key” collection, resulting in the disqualification of many players by the time the snapshot was taken on September 21. Crypto commentator Pushpendra Singh questioned the rationale behind this change, highlighting the inconsistency between earlier statements and the final eligibility requirements.

Players, feeling let down by the airdrop's outcome, took to social media, rallying around hashtags like #BoycottHamster and #HamsterIsScammer. After spending 3-4 months engaging with the game, many received only between 100 and 5,000 HMSTR tokens. To add to their frustration, 11.25% of these tokens are locked for an extended period. Based on initial price predictions of $0.001 to $0.005, holding 1,000 tokens would equate to just $1 - $5 in value. 

Although the token price briefly surpassed $0.013 on major exchanges, it soon dropped to $0.007 at the time of writing, resulting in potential earnings of only $7 - $13 per 1,000 tokens. For the community, this amount is far from impressive, especially when compared to the grand expectations set.

Initially, the airdrop was marketed as the "largest in crypto history," but the reality has left players feeling disappointed and distrusting of the project's promises.

Kir Gusev, an experienced crypto trader and CEO of the Tron-based meme coin VIKITA, criticized the airdrop, calling the token distribution to Hamster Kombat's 300 million users unrealistic. 

"It was obvious since May," Gusev stated. "If you have 300 million users and you airdrop an average of just $10 per user, you will have to distribute $3 billion. It’s impossible." 

Even if the user base is reduced to 70 million by excluding bots, distributing $10 per user would still require $700 million—a sum Gusev deems "impossible." He believes that the game's failure to meet community expectations has likely eroded trust. In his view, the only potential way to regain that trust might be to dramatically pump the token's price.