U.S.-based Marvel Snap players were in for a nasty surprise on Jan. 18, finding themselves as collateral damage for the nation’s TikTok ban. While the shutdown and the related ban-or-divest law are primarily discussed in the context of the ultra-popular short-form video platform, the law actively affects all ByteDance-linked apps.
Why is Marvel Snap not available in the US?
In what seemed to be a surprise move to the creators of the game themselves, Marvel Snap was suspended on Jan. 18 in the United States alongside all other apps affiliated with ByteDance, a Chinese company targeted by a federal law that bars US companies from hosting or distributing their apps.
What is surprising about this is that ByteDance has divested from its gaming subsidiary, Nuverse, back in 2023, but it is apparently still somehow part of the corporate web that revolves around the Marvel-themed card game. Developed by Second Dinner, helmed by former Hearthstone creator Ben Brode, not many in the gaming community would have associated Marvel Snap with TikTok or ByteDance—but here we are, for now.
In a post on the official Second Dinner X account, the devs wrote, “Unfortunately, MARVEL SNAP is temporarily unavailable in U.S. app stores and is unavailable to play in the U.S. In a surprise to Second Dinner and our publisher Nuverse, MARVEL SNAP was affected by the takedown of TikTok late on Saturday, January 18th. MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere. We’re actively working on getting the game up as soon as possible and will update you once we have more to share.”
The game’s official X account has not acknowledged the outing at the time of writing.
It seems that, as of right now, Marvel Snap will remain unavailable for U.S. players for the foreseeable future unless the ban is reversed or a satisfactory resolution for the divestment issue is found. Players reported that the Steam version is still available to download but you will be automatically logged out when trying to play.
The TikTok ban and the related ban-or-divest law, explained
Commonly referred to as a federal law banning TikTok from the United States, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act ordered ByteDance to divest from TikTok and its other applications. It was signed by President Biden seven weeks later and survived a further Supreme Court challenge.
TikTok and its parent company were long a target of congressional efforts to ban them on account of political and national security concerns related to its Chinese ownership. Last March, a bipartisan majority of 352 to 65 passed the law. It required ByteDance and its subsidiaries to sell TikTok and its other apps to an entity that isn’t based in China by the Jan. 18 deadline, or it would prohibit any US company from “distributing, maintaining or updating” the applications. In effect, this meant a removal from app stores.
With no divestment since, the ban has taken effect on Jan. 18. Among others, it has also affected TikTok’s sister app, Lemon8. Video editing app CapCut, AI homework helper Gauth, photo editing tool Hypic, workspace comms tool Lark, and others, like Melolo, Fizzo, MyTopia Books, and Tokopedia are also now unavailable in the United States. And, of course, Marvel Snap. Mobile Legends Bang Bang also seems to have been caught in the crossfire.
At the time of writing, when you open the Marvel Snap app as a US player, you are greeted with a notice that is near-identical to the one you’ll find on TikTok, saying, “Sorry, MARVEL SNAP isn’t available right now. A law banning MARVEL SNAP has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use MARVEL SNAP for now. Rest assured, we’re working to restore our service in the U.S. Please stay tuned!”
The notice on the TikTok app makes a further reference to incoming president Donald Trump, saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” No such reference is made in the Marvel Snap message. Trump has previously stated that he may provide a 90-day postponement for the ban. The Republican has formerly been a big proponent of banning the platform, but recently, he called the decision a dangerous precedent.
Published: Jan 19, 2025 09:12 am