- Animoca Brands has officially become a strategic investor in Catizen, one of the largest Web3 games on Telegram.
- The second major airdrop, tied to the Bombie spin-off, will launch on May 20, 2025.
- Animoca is also the parent company of major Web3 titles like Axie Infinity and The Metaverse.
Animoca Brands, one of the biggest names in Web3, is investing in Catizen, a Telegram-based game that has quickly become one of the platform’s largest Web3 communities.
With a new airdrop season underway, we spoke to David Ching, Director of Investments and Strategic Partnerships at Animoca, to discuss why the firm is backing Catizen and what the future holds for Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem.
Why Catizen, and Why Now?
When Catizen launched in March 2024, riding the wave of interest sparked by Hamster Kombat, it quickly became a breakout hit.
The Telegram-based game offered a simple proposition: tap the screen to collect cats, merge them for better rewards, and earn in-game points that translate into airdrop allocations.
The loop was easy to grasp and addictive, drawing tens of millions of users almost overnight.
Since then, the game has grown into one of Telegram’s largest Web3 communities, with roughly 49 million players to date.
But while Catizen’s rise was swift, one of the most influential names in blockchain gaming, Animoca Brands, held off on investing, that is, until now.
Animoca’s decision to invest comes as Catizen prepares to roll out its second major airdrop, tied to the Bombie spin-off.
“The timing aligns with its [Catizen’s] expansion, including upcoming airdrops for Bombie and Cattea, and the 2025 roadmap unveiled in February,” Ching explains.
“We see growth potential and accessibility, and that makes it a strategic fit for our portfolio.” He added.
Ching adds that Animoca’s involvement goes beyond investment; the firm will also provide strategic guidance in areas like “tokenomics, ecosystem design, and community engagement.”
Longevity
Animoca’s investment in Catizen is part of a larger strategy to tap into Telegram’s booming Web3 ecosystem.
The firm has backed several other Telegram-based games, including Anichess, ENJOR, and RoOLZ Telegram Games, as well as acquiring the social gaming platform GAMEE.
According to Ching, Animoca sees “strong longevity” in The Open Network (TON) and its integration with Telegram’s massive user base.
“We see strong longevity in TON, given its integration with Telegram’s 1 billion users is still at an early stage and there is still a lot of potential to be realized,” Ching says. “This positions TON as a major avenue for onboarding Web2 users into the Web3 ecosystem.”
However, despite the huge influx of players, retention remains a challenge for many Telegram-based games, including Catizen. While the game peaked at 49 million players, it now records just over 1 million monthly active users.
Animoca is optimistic about the development and believes Catizen is a great fit.
“Catizen’s uniqueness lies in its focus on developer resources, a strong pipeline of mini-games, and an expanding ecosystem,” Ching explains. “This broadens our reach to a wider audience and complements our existing investments.”
To combat retention issues, Ching emphasizes the importance of building an integrated ecosystem, where progress in one game benefits all others in the ecosystem.
“Catizen is already doing this,” he notes.
Building an Integrated Ecosystem
As Catizen enters its second airdrop season, it’s expanding its ecosystem.
The game has integrated two other titles, Bombie and Cattea, into its rewards system, encouraging players to engage across multiple games.
In Catizen’s App Center, players can earn rewards by completing tasks not just in Catizen, but also in Bombie and Cattea.
This cross-game integration helps create a pipeline of engagement, says Ching. “In practice, that means players who try the new games are rewarded in the main Catizen campaign. This cross-game linkage encourages players to engage with each title.”
Ching highlighted this complementary nature of Bombie and Cattea, noting that both games are designed to engage players in new ways while enriching the Catizen community.
“Bombie and Cattea are intended to engage players in new ways while feeding into the main game’s community,” he explained.
Since its launch in August 2024, Bombie has attracted around 9–10 million users, which Ching describes as a “healthy audience.”
Meanwhile, Cattea, though newer, is already integrated into Catizen’s reward system, allowing players to earn Cattea-related points in the ongoing airdrop seasons.
“These titles help diversify content and keep the ecosystem fresh,” Ching added. “Having multiple games creates a pipeline of engagement.”
Yet, despite its ambitious expansion, Catizen is not immune to challenges.
Like Hamster Kombat, Catizen has faced criticism over handling its airdrop, with some players voicing frustration over last-minute token adjustments and lower-than-expected returns.
Ching acknowledges these concerns. “Transparency and effectiveness in large-scale airdrop distributions, involving substantial user bases and the need for fairness, can always be enhanced.”
Looking Ahead: The Bombie Airdrop
As Catizen continues to expand its ecosystem, all eyes are on the upcoming Bombie airdrop, set to launch on May 20, 2025.
If successful, it could be one of the biggest token-generation events (TGEs) of the year, further solidifying Catizen’s place in the Telegram-based Web3 ecosystem.
For Animoca, the Bombie airdrop is a key milestone. With its new strategic backing from Animoca, Catizen appears poised to maintain its momentum, bringing more players and games into the fold as it continues to scale its innovative approach to Web3 gaming.
