Hamster Kombat, the popular Telegram-based tap-to-earn game, is currently facing significant legal challenges in Russia. These issues stem from a dispute between its alleged creator, Eduard Gurinovich, and one of its early investors, Ad.ru, an IT holding company. According to a report from Lenta.ru, a well-known Russian online newspaper, Gurinovich developed Hamster Kombat through a company called Arenum, in which Ad.ru holds a 25% stake.
Hamster Kombat Faces Legal Actions From Alleged Early Investors
The legal battle surrounding Hamster Kombat involves its supposed creator, Eduard Gurinovich, and the early investor Ad.ru. This tap-to-earn game, which has amassed the support of over 300 million users, has become the center of a legal dispute due to disagreements over its development and financial dealings.
A now-deleted article from Lenta.ru reveals that Gurinovich developed Hamster Kombat under Arenum, a company partly owned by Ad.ru, which had invested $600,000 into the venture. Arenum was initially pitched to Ad.ru in 2020 as a platform intended to provide games and esports content to its users. However, by 2021, funding had dried up, prompting Arenum to raise $10 million through an initial token offering to continue its operations.
Despite this significant fundraising, the investors, including Ad.ru, reportedly did not receive their share of the profits. For two years, Arenum continued to develop its platform while only sharing reports with Ad.ru. In 2024, Hamster Kombat was launched, quickly gaining widespread attention and acclaim within the gaming community.
According to Ad.ru CEO Anton Gorshkov, Gurinovich initially acknowledged Ad.ru’s involvement in the Hamster Kombat project. However, Gurinovich later denied any connection between Ad.ru and the game. Gorshkov commented:
“At first, he assured us that by autumn there would be enough money for everyone. Then suddenly, he claimed, ‘You have nothing to do with the project. Yes, we used the team, but the name is different.’”
Documents reviewed by Lenta.ru confirm the relationship between Arenum and Hamster Kombat, with the game’s domain registered using a corporate email address from Arenum. The email, ap@arenum.games, reportedly belongs to Alexander Pasechnik, Arenum’s co-founder.
Gorshkov indicated that Ad.ru plans to take legal action to resolve this dispute. “We have filed a pre-trial claim and are determined to seek justice and protect our interests through the legal system,” he stated.
Implications for the Hamster Kombat Token Airdrop
Before this controversy, little was known about the founders of Hamster Kombat, who had chosen to remain anonymous in a July interview with crypto media. The team also reported rejecting multiple offers from venture capital firms to invest in the game, without disclosing their connections with Ad.ru or other early investors.
The ongoing legal battle raises concerns about the future of the Hamster Kombat token airdrop. The project is expected to release an airdrop in the near future, but it remains uncertain whether these legal issues could delay or even cancel the distribution event.