Overview of Marvel Snap’s Ban
- Marvel Snap has been removed from U.S. mobile app stores.
- The game, created by Second Dinner in California, is published by Nuverse, a subsidiary of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok.
- The removal coincided with the implementation of a new law effective January 19, leading to a pledge from Second Dinner to reintroduce the game in the U.S. shortly.
Marvel Snap, an immensely popular card game, has faced an unexpected ban in the United States. This action is linked to recent legislation affecting TikTok, responsible for the removal of both applications from mobile app platforms.
Legislative Context Behind the Ban
On January 19, 2025, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, known as H.R.7521, took effect. This law prohibits the distribution of apps associated with companies from nations classified as adversaries by the U.S. government, principally targeting entities based in China. As a result of this law, following the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the unofficial ban on TikTok, both the TikTok platform and Marvel Snap were pulled from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store overnight on January 18.
Connection Between Marvel Snap and TikTok
Despite being developed by Second Dinner, a company located in Irvine, California, Marvel Snap’s connection to Nuverse (owned by ByteDance) rendered it subject to the constraints of H.R.7521. In light of this situation, Second Dinner acknowledged the ban on social media, emphasizing that they are addressing the issue and hope to restore access to the game promptly. One representative mentioned on Twitter their commitment to keep players informed on progress.
Unfortunately, MARVEL SNAP is temporarily unavailable in U.S. app stores and is unavailable to play in the U.S. This outage is a surprise to us and wasn’t planned. MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere. We’re actively working on getting the game up as soon as possible and will— Second Dinner (@seconddinner) January 19, 2025
Second Dinner and Nuverse Caught Off Guard by Removal
A message from Second Dinner on their official Discord server corroborated that both the developer and the publisher were surprised by the ban. This outcome seemed to stem from decisions made either by Google, Apple, or ByteDance itself, which underscores why there had been no prior alert regarding a potential ban.
Dissatisfaction Among Marvel Snap Players
While the ban has indeed taken Second Dinner and Nuverse by surprise, many players are expressing their dissatisfaction with the abrupt halt of the game. Reddit threads and Discord discussions are buzzing with frustrations, with some players even demanding refunds for their investments, claiming they wouldn’t have made purchases if they knew the game would become unavailable only two years post-launch.
As of now, given Second Dinner’s optimistic outlook regarding a swift resolution, the company is unlikely to prioritize refund requests from affected U.S. users. Encouragingly, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, recently stated a willingness to engage with the incoming administration, hinting at the potential for TikTok’s presence in the U.S. to be preserved, an assurance that aligns with campaign promises made by President-elect Trump.
For gamers eager to continue enjoying Marvel Snap, there remains an option to access the game through Steam, as of the early hours of January 19.
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