Telegram Puzzle Game ‘Catizen’ Pushes Back Airdrop Amid Controversy Surrounding PETA Donation
The creators of the popular Telegram puzzle game, Catizen, had originally planned to launch their CATI crypto token in July. However, with the end of the month approaching, the team has acknowledged the delay and the growing frustration among players.
No new launch date has been announced for the token, which will launch on The Open Network (TON). Pluto Studio, the developer behind Catizen, cited challenges during the planning process as the reason for the delay.
In a Twitter statement, the team expressed their understanding of the community’s disappointment and their commitment to achieving the best possible airdrop outcome. They also emphasized the importance of long-term development and sustainability for the CATI token.
The team revealed that key elements, such as securing leading exchanges, ensuring liquidity, determining trading options, and listing price, are being optimized for a successful listing. However, they also acknowledged that certain factors, including compliance and market sentiment, are beyond their control.
To address concerns about token distribution, Pluto Studio announced that team members, seed round investors, and advisors will have a cliff period, barring them from accessing tokens until 12 months after the launch. Their tokens will then vest gradually over the following 48 months.
Apart from the token delay, Catizen’s developer also faced backlash over a $100,000 donation to PETA. The controversial nature of PETA’s practices, including euthanizing animals, prompted the studio to suspend the collaboration temporarily. They assured players that the donated funds would be used exclusively for feeding, vaccination, rescue, and adoption assistance for stray cats, and that they would seek feedback on alternative organizations for future donations.
Pluto Studio recently received strategic funding from Binance Labs and The Open Platform (TOP) and reached a milestone of 25 million Catizen players. The game has become one of the most prominent crypto games on Telegram, alongside Hamster Kombat, Notcoin, Yescoin, Tapswap, and W-Coin.
It is worth noting that Hamster Kombat, another Telegram tap-to-earn game, also announced a delay in its token launch on the same day as Catizen. The Hamster Kombat team is still planning the airdrop, with pre-market trading on OKX scheduled to commence on August 1.
Decrypt’s GG reached out to Pluto Studio for comment but has yet to receive a response.