TLDR:
- Players are upset after Catizen's developers changed airdrop conditions without warning.
- The initial proposal to allocate 43% of the token supply to the community has been scaled back to just 15% for the first airdrop.
- A number of players ended up with fewer tokens than they had anticipated, some receiving just a handful.
- Developers mention that changes were necessary to curb bot exploitation.
- The uproar revolves around alleged preference for players who financially support the game over those who are actively engaged.
Enthusiasm for the Catizen airdrop, which ties into the popular game on Telegram, plummeted after unexpected revisions to the token distribution strategy. With Pluto Studio aiming to officially introduce the CATI token on The Open Network (TON) on September 20, 2024, tensions are high.
The latest revelations about token distribution have left many players feeling shortchanged, sparking debates about the fairness of the process.
Originally, Pluto Studio promised that 43% of the token supply would be community-driven. However, this was later revised to 30% intended for circulation at launch, with a mere 15% being directly airdropped to the players.
What catizen is saying
✔️ Honest players are defined as those who invest money into in-game purchases.
✔️ Those without financial investment, playing extensively for 16-24 hours daily, are labeled as fraudsters.Also;
✔️ Instead of identifying and eliminating fraudulent accounts, only those who…— HamstringFCB⚡ (@hamstringFCB) September 15, 2024
Future quarterly seasons will see the remaining tokens used as play-to-earn rewards.
Besides changes in allocation, Catizen's developers also adjusted how individual token allotments are determined.
Initially, the in-game vKitty earning rate was to dictate airdrop amounts. Yet, after finding some users manipulated earnings with scripts, Pluto Studio revised this method.
In response, the focus shifted to criteria reflecting authentic player activities more accurately.
These criteria now prioritize on-chain interactions, task fulfillments, and purchases with fish coins during gameplay.
Some say the revised system appears to favor cash-spenders over those committed by spending time.
Discontented players have flooded social media with their frustrations over low token counts. Even top-ranked players among millions report receiving as few as 39 CATI tokens, driving the hashtag '#catizenscam' to become popular on Twitter.
The additional 19% of the supply will be disseminated over the next eight seasonal airdrops. 🤡 @CatizenAI you are doing scam #Catizen #CATIScam pic.twitter.com/OoMVwVdSZb
— Pushpendra Singh (@pushpendrakum) September 14, 2024
Heightening the debate, Pluto Studio also unveiled a partnership with Binance for a Launchpool rewards initiative. This promotion delegates 90 million tokens, or 9% of the total, to Binance users staking coins, further reducing the pool for primary players.
Defending their course of action, Pluto Studio maintains that these changes are vital for fair distribution and deterring bots. They stressed that keeping the original set-up would have unfairly benefited script-using players over authentic users.
Several community members feel the sudden modifications and lack of transparency have eroded trust.
The call is out for a more detailed breakdown of the token distribution and clearer directives for future allocations.
With the token launch on the horizon, Pluto Studio faces the challenge of addressing these concerns and restoring community trust.
