Telegram games are missing users in Q4/2024

The rise of tap-to-earn titles on Telegram, such as Notcoin, has created a new wave of users flocking to the blockchain ecosystem linked to this messaging app.

Many in the web3 community had expected this to be the next success story of 2024. However, this growth did not last long.

Notcoin was only one of the few original successful titles, and the subsequent degradation of the Telegram gaming ecosystem suggests that the pattern loss-to-earn. There are still many challenges to overcome.

Specifically, a detailed report from Helika, a platform specializing in Web3 Games, exposed a stark truth about the situation of Telegram games in the quarter of April 2024. Accordingly, the user retention rate is only 5-20%, which is much lower than the 20-30% norm of the traditional gaming industry.

This suggests that players are gradually losing interest in the tap-to-earn model and are no longer salty but sticking with Telegram titles.

One of the main causes of this situation is player frustration with airdrops, especially in the case of Hamster Kombat. Despite being expected to continue the success of Notcoin, Hamster Kombat has failed to meet the expectations of the community, leaving many players feeling cheated.

Hamster Kombat emerged as a phenomenon in early 2024, attracting millions of players to participate. However, the late 2024 airdrop of this game caused a lot of controversy and disappointed players.

According to Helika, the number of Hamster Kombat users dropped from 300 million in August to 41 million in November following the airdrop.

The development team of “Hamster Kombat” voiced opposition and claimed that the figure of 300 million was the total number of players and not the MAU (monthly number of users). However, it is still undeniable that this failed airdrop has negatively affected the reputation of the game, undermining players' confidence in the tap-to-earn model.

The decline of Telegram gaming has not only affected individual titles, but also negatively impacted the TON blockchain ecosystem, where most Telegram titles are built.

Although TON noted a growth in the number of new accounts, this does not mean that users are actually engaged in activities on the blockchain, especially gaming.

The slowdown of Telegram games in q4 2024 is an expensive lesson for game developers on the platform. It shows that engaging users is just the beginning, more important than keeping them and creating a sustainable ecosystem.

To do this, developers need to pay more attention to game quality, building a strong community of players, and especially transparency and fairness in activities related to cryptocurrencies, avoiding disappointment to players.

Although the current picture seems bleak, the enormous potential of the gaming market on Telegram cannot be denied. With its huge user base and the ability to integrate crypto-related features, Helika says Telegram remains a promising platform for game developers.

The problem is that developers need to draw lessons from past failures, change their approach, and focus on building quality, innovative titles that really engage players.