Hamster Kombat’s Layer-2 (L2) blockchain briefly outperformed Solana in transactions per second (TPS) but is now experiencing a dramatic drop in activity.
Just two weeks after its launch, the Hamster Network has seen a staggering 99.9% decline in transaction volume, raising concerns about its long-term viability.
Hamster Network Transaction Volume Plummets
The Hamster Network, launched in February 2025, was initially positioned as a gaming-focused blockchain that supports decentralized applications (dApps) and games within its “Hamsterverse” gaming ecosystem.
BeInCrypto reported in early March that Hamster Kombat’s L2 network reached an all-time high of 34,021 TPS, 3.5 times higher than Solana’s.
“34,028 TPS achieved by Hamster Network! That’s 3.5x faster than Solana! Big things are coming! Hamster Network is about to launch an accelerator program for builders to create truly decentralized applications—free from high gas fees and scalability issues,” Hamster Kombat reported at the time.
However, as of March 13, the L2 scaling solution is processing only 0.84 TPS, handling only 52,516 transactions in the past 24 hours. This is a sharp decline from its launch-day peak of nearly 150 million transactions.
Hamster Network TPS. Source: hamsterscan.io/transactions
Beyond the sharp decline in activity, its clicker or tap-to-earn gameplay shows a noticeable drop in player counts. Hamster Kombat, which once had over 300 million monthly users, now struggles to maintain engagement.
As of February 26, 2025, the game reported 11.5 million monthly players. However, that number has now fallen to 10.3 million—a loss of over 1.2 million users in just two weeks. Similarly, the number of new daily accounts is minimal, with only 12 created, reflecting the game’s lack of appeal. The game once had up to 300 million monthly users.
Hamster Kombat Accounts. Source: hamsterscan.io/accounts
Industry analysts suggest that much of the network’s early success was fueled by hype surrounding its crypto airdrops rather than sustained user interest in the blockchain’s functionality. Many play-to-earn (P2E) and tap-to-earn games face difficulty retaining players once initial incentives fade, and Hamster Kombat appears to be no exception.
Meanwhile, the recent decline follows the conclusion of the “GameDev Heroes Combo,” a recurring in-game event with player incentives. User activity has dwindled without such rewards for players, raising concerns about the game’s ability to sustain long-term engagement.
Despite the setbacks, Hamster Kombat’s team insists that the L2 network is still in its early stages. They say it will undergo further stress tests to determine its full capabilities. Nevertheless, the dramatic transaction volume and player engagement downturn highlight volatility in blockchain gaming projects.
Their ability to revive the blockchain’s initial momentum remains uncertain. Similarly, whether developers and gamers will continue to see value in the platform remains to be seen.
Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) Price Performance. Source: CoinGecko
CoinGecko data shows Hamster Kombat’s powering token, HMSTR, was trading for $0.002144 as of this writing. This represents a drop of almost 4% in the last 24 hours.
