More than half of Russians (57%) are unaware of the existence of the Telegram-based clicker game Hamster Kombat. This is according to the results of a telephone survey conducted by the VTSIOM among 1600 adult citizens.
According to the collected data, 42% of respondents have heard of the “hamster,” with 14% understanding the essence of the “tap game.”
The most informed were Zoomers (86%) and younger Millennials (72%), Telegram users (62%), residents of million-plus cities (50%), and active internet users (62%).
“The popularity of Hamster Kombat is local and limited to the most technologically advanced, young, and ‘digitalized’ users. On a national scale, its recognition is still rather limited,” noted VTSIOM.
For the first time, 62% of surveyed women and 52% of men, 78% of older Russians, 65% of rural residents, and 81% of those who prefer television heard about Hamster Kombat during the study.
8% of those aware of the game reported attempting to earn cryptocurrency through it. The majority of this category were Zoomers (12%), citizens with incomplete secondary education (16%), and residents of large cities (15%).
16% of respondents believe in the possibility of converting “game” money into real currency. 67% do not consider Hamster Kombat a way to earn money.
Overall, 87% of the total number of respondents have heard about cryptocurrencies in Russia. Zoomers are the most informed — 96%, including 35% who consider themselves well-versed in the topic.
Experts from “Kaspersky Lab” have also warned about a scheme to steal Telegram accounts under the guise of a service for cashing out in-game Hamster Kombat coins.
Victims are promised payments in rubles within 15 minutes after successful authorization via a link. It leads to a phishing page through which attackers steal access to the messenger.
Previously, ForkLog also reported on fraudulent campaigns targeting Hamster Kombat players.
Last week, the clicker’s developers discussed the game’s genesis and announced a second airdrop.
Hamster Kombat has already received support from Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who announced the release of its token HMSTR on the TON blockchain. The Bybit exchange has opened the coin’s pre-market.