Hamster Kombat Fuels Massage Gun Sales, Takes Tap-to-Earn to a Whole New Level Amidst Criticisms of Social Pressure Tactics

Taking Tap-to-Earn to Another Level with Massage Guns

Hamster Kombat, a sensationally popular clicker game on Telegram, has captivated the world, not only for its engrossing gameplay but recently, for its unexpected influence on an unrelated industry—massage guns.

The game has reportedly triggered a surge in sales of electric massage devices in Russia, as players seek innovative methods to expedite its repetitive coin mining process.

The essence of the gameplay involves rapidly tapping an on-screen hamster image to accumulate coins.

Despite the deceptively simple mechanics, the game has proven to be quite demanding for many of its 250 million players, leading an increasing number to employ electric massage guns to automate and accelerate their clicking efforts.

According to the Russian news outlet Vedomosti, e-commerce site Wildberries reported that sales of such devices nearly tripled in June by 179%, while rival retailer Ozon also observed a 33% rise in sales between June and July compared to 2023.

Vedomosti attributes this sales spike to Hamster Kombat players eager to enhance their in-game coin earnings using massage guns, which can deliver faster screen taps than human players alone.

This phenomenon has been further amplified by social media, with viral videos showcasing Russian players using massage guns to ascend the leaderboards.

The trend's popularity among Hamster Kombat enthusiasts has led to massage guns being marketed as a 'quick pumping' method to mine coins.

Retailers, or at least resellers on their websites, have seemingly caught on to this trend, with multiple massage gun products from the brand RELAXA featuring Hamster Kombat logos on their product images via Wildberries, embracing the trend while it endures.

However, while Wildberries and Ozon, two of Russia's largest e-commerce platforms, have experienced significant increases in massage gun sales, Yandex Market, the third major player, has not reported a similar surge.

This suggests that the trend may be more localised or driven by the viral videos.

Crazy Ways People Are Boosting Their Telegram Tapping

Hamster Kombat players are not limited to using massage guns for increasing their tapping efficiency; they have devised various creative methods to log more taps.

Some of the more ingenious examples observed on social media include attaching an artificial finger to a sewing machine, which, when in use, grabs coins at an exceptionally fast rate.

This indicates that there are dedicated Hamster Kombat farming operations in place.

Videos have surfaced showing multiple devices being tapped repeatedly by gadgets seemingly custom-built for this purpose.

However, it is not always about employing high-speed equipment; sometimes, it is about making the most of one's time.

For instance, a barber was seen playing Hamster Kombat while giving a client a haircut, multitasking in a unique way.

In another peculiar example, a player appears to possess supernatural Hamster Kombat skills, depleting their in-game energy in mere seconds.

In the comments section of this post, one user revealed an accessibility trick that allows for multiple taps to be registered with a single tap.

It is likely that such exploits will be short-lived once the developers become aware of them.

Airdrop to Happen This Month

Despite the game's emphasis on crypto and coins, it does not currently operate on a 'play-to-earn' or 'tap-to-earn' model, as users are unable to withdraw any in-game earnings with real monetary value.

Instead, players are anticipating a promised airdrop, scheduled for this month.

Upon the game's launch on The Open Network (TON), players will have the opportunity to convert their in-game rewards into physical cash through the use of a crypto token.

The game's developers are preparing for this token airdrop, aiming to introduce the advantages of blockchain technology to a broad audience.

Criticism Mounts Against Hamster Kombat's Social Pressure Strategies

Hamster Kombat has come under scrutiny for its aggressive use of social pressure tactics to expand its user base.

While the game's viral success has catapulted it to remarkable popularity, some analysts suggest that the mechanics driving user engagement may have reached a saturation point.

The game regularly introduces new exchange upgrade cards that offer the allure of higher earnings.

These cards are often linked to the game's "daily combo," which provides players with a significant reward of five million in-game coins for using specific cards.

However, this system places players who cannot recruit more friends at a disadvantage.

Moreover, many of these cards can only be unlocked if players successfully persuade another friend to join the game through their referral link.

This creates a scenario where players unable to grow their network due to the referral requirement may find themselves at a disadvantage, despite the game's straightforward "number-go-up" premise.

It appears that Hamster Kombat's developers may be exerting too much pressure to maintain the game's hype, ensuring it does not wane before the anticipated token airdrop this month.