Corporate Strife Unveiled at Hamster Kombat

The team behind the clicker game Hamster Kombat has refused to share profits with investor AD.RU, according to Anton Gorshkov, CEO of the IT holding, in a statement to Lenta.ru.

Mobile Gaming Portal

Gorshkov stated that in 2020, Eduard Gurinovich, a purported co-founder of Hamster Kombat, approached AD.RU with the idea for a mobile gaming and esports portal, Arenum.

The holding found the concept promising and invested $600,000 in exchange for an 18.6% stake.

That same year, AD.RU allegedly provided marketing for Arenum and attracted further investment. As a result, the project team reportedly secured over $1 million more for development, increasing the holding’s stake in the portal to 25%.

By early 2021, Arenum’s expenses still exceeded its income, leading the portal to reportedly raise $10 million through an IDO with AD.RU’s marketing support. However, according to Gorshkov, the team did not share profits with investors.

“But the Name is Different”

In June 2024, as Hamster Kombat gained significant popularity, Gurinovich claimed that the clicker game was not associated with AD.RU.

“In June, I suggested to Gurinovich that we meet to discuss our position in the project or our exit from it. The meeting took place in a rather strange atmosphere. Initially, he said, ‘Don’t worry, by autumn there will be enough money for everyone.’ Then suddenly: ‘You have no relation to the project. Yes, we used the team, but the name is different.’ Meanwhile, AD.RU had been involved in the project for over four years, contributing not only financially but also in developing mechanics later applied in Hamster Kombat,” noted Gorshkov.

According to a “technical examination” cited by Lenta.ru, Hamster Kombat was created using Arenum’s resources, and the game’s servers are hosted alongside the company.

Previously, journalists observed that in March, alongside the project’s main domain, an additional one—hamsterkombat.com—was registered. The email provided during registration—ap@arenum.games—belongs to the Cypriot company Arenum Ltd.

Gorshkov stated that AD.RU has sent a pre-trial claim to Gurinovich and intends to resolve the issue legally. However, the holding is not the only corporate challenge facing Hamster Kombat.

“Tensions Rise”

In August, the clicker game’s marketing director, Nikita Anufriev, left the team. He told Lenta.ru that he was promised “25% of the revenue, shares, or a portion of the team’s tokens.”

Anufriev claimed he promoted Hamster Kombat globally and facilitated partnerships, including with several DAOs that invested $450,000 in the project and supported the game in over 200 blogs.

“Opinion leaders and everyone involved in the project are convinced that without active support from influencers, the project would not have achieved such success. Instead of gratitude for a ready business and tens of millions of dollars in advertising revenue, the founders decided to return early investors’ funds, which opinion leaders and any reasonable person would find insulting, prompting them to publicly express their dissatisfaction. It seems tensions within and around the project are rising,” he said.

The former marketing director of Hamster Kombat declined to disclose details of his exit from the project but suggested it might happen soon “if nothing changes” and “for the safety of users, influencers, and investors.”

In July, Gurinovich announced he had become the “exclusive partner” of Hamster Kombat in Russia. His team is reportedly responsible for engaging with the local community and selling advertising in the Russian region.

According to the project’s white paper, 60% of the total HMSTR token issuance is intended for players. The clicker’s creators expressed their intention to build an ecosystem of interconnected games and services.

In August, the criteria for Hamster Kombat’s airdrop were revealed.