The temporary shutdown of TikTok in the US on January 19th unexpectedly impacted Marvel Snap, the popular card game published by Nuverse (a ByteDance subsidiary). This disruption, lasting approximately 24 hours, resulted in the game becoming temporarily unavailable.
While Marvel Snap is now back online, full functionality is still being restored, and in-app purchases remain disabled. In response to this unforeseen event, developers are exploring a shift to a new publisher and transitioning certain services to internal management, as announced on X.
This strategic move is driven by significant political uncertainties surrounding TikTok's future in the US. The company was granted only a 90-day extension to finalize a deal selling 50% of its US operations. Failure to secure this agreement could lead to further disruptions for TikTok and its associated projects, including Marvel Snap.
Second Dinner Studios has promised further updates. Although players experienced authorization problems, Steam users retained access. The developers expressed surprise at the incident and are actively working to resolve all issues, assuring players via an official X statement: "Marvel Snap is here to stay. We're working hard to restore the game as quickly as possible, and we'll keep players informed of our progress."
The lack of prior warning exacerbated the situation, leaving many players unaware of the potential service interruption and continuing to make in-game purchases before the shutdown.