Hamster Kombat Partner Ordered to Pay 2.5 Million Rubles in Business Dispute

The Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region has ordered the alleged co-founder of the Telegram clicker Hamster Kombat, Eduard Gurinovich, to pay 2.5 million rubles following a lawsuit by a Tyumen entrepreneur. The case was reviewed by the first instance in December 2024.

According to the ruling, in April 2023, the plaintiff, Viktor Shkursky, paid Gurinovich 2.5 million rubles as an advance for a business course titled “Board of Directors,” which included video lectures and the development of a personal growth strategy.

However, for more than two months, the promised services were not delivered.

“Furthermore, contrary to the terms of the contract, access to the recorded lectures was not provided to the plaintiff,” the case materials state.

The plaintiff noted that the defendant lacked a license to conduct educational activities.

The court upheld the entrepreneur’s claims and ordered Gurinovich to pay 2.5 million rubles in principal debt and 20,700 rubles in state duty expenses. The decision was made in the absence of the defendant.

In July 2024, media reported that Eduard Gurinovich was the owner of the clicker game Hamster Kombat, although he described himself as a partner. A month later, journalists learned of corporate issues within the project.

The peak popularity of the clicker, which attracted 300 million players, occurred in late summer to early autumn of the previous year. However, by November, Hamster Kombat faced a significant decline in active participants following what users deemed an unsuccessful airdrop.

Nonetheless, developers are preparing to launch the second season in spring 2025.