Hamster Kombat, the wildly popular Telegram tap-to-earn game boasting over 300 million users, faces a legal battle with one of its alleged early investors. Ad.ru, a Russian IT holding company, claims they were unfairly excluded from profit sharing despite significant financial contributions to the project’s development company, Arenum.
A Web of Intrigue:
According to a now-deleted report on Lenta.ru, a major Russian news website, Eduard Gurinovich, the alleged creator of Hamster Kombat, used Arenum, a company Ad.ru claims they hold a 25% stake in, to develop the game. Ad.ru reportedly provided $600,000 to Arenum in 2020 under the impression it would be used to build a portal for games and esports. However, by 2 years later, funding had dried up, forcing Arenum to conduct an initial token offering (ITO) in 2021, raising an additional $10 million.
Broken Promises and Missed Deals:
Here’s where the story gets murky. The report alleges Arenum withheld these additional funds from investors, choosing instead to focus on developing its own portal for two years while only sharing progress reports with Ad.ru. Then, in 2024, Arenum seemingly abandoned its original vision and unexpectedly launched the wildly successful Hamster Kombat.
Ad.ru CEO Anton Gorshkov claims Gurinovich initially acknowledged their involvement but later denied any connection. Gorshkov quotes Gurinovich as saying, “At first, he said, don’t worry, by autumn there will be enough money for everyone. And then suddenly: You have nothing to do with the project. Yes, we used a team, but the name is different.”
Evidence and Escalation:
Lenta.ru reportedly reviewed documents that corroborate Ad.ru’s claims. A corporate email address from Arenum (ap@arenum.games) was allegedly used to register the Hamster Kombat domain, potentially linking the two projects. Unwilling to accept these alleged breaches of agreement, Gorshkov stated that Ad.ru would pursue legal action. “We have filed a pre-trial claim and naturally want to seek justice and defend our interests within the framework of the law, within the framework of the court,” he declared.
Opacity and Uncertainty:
The situation is further complicated by the veil of secrecy surrounding Hamster Kombat’s founders. Prior to the legal issue surfacing, they opted to remain anonymous in an interview with crypto media. Additionally, the team claimed to have rejected numerous investment proposals from venture capital companies. However, these rejections did not mention any existing connections with Ad.ru or other angel investors.
Looming Questions:
This legal battle casts a shadow over Hamster Kombat’s future. The project has promised an airdrop of its native token (HMSTR) in the future. However, the lawsuit raises concerns about potential delays or cancellations. Whether this controversy will impact player trust and engagement in the game remains to be seen. Only time will tell if the courts can untangle this web of accusations and determine the rightful ownership of a project that has captured the attention of millions.
