Title: The Marvel Snap Ban in the U.S. and Its Connection to the TikTok Shutdown
While the buzz surrounding TikTok's potential shutdown in the US is making headlines, a lesser-known aspect of the situation is affecting other apps from ByteDance, including Marvel Snap. This digital card game, developed by Second Dinner, found itself in hot water when ByteDance, its publisher, was involved in a controversial divestment in 2023.
Marvel Snap, oddly enough, stumbled into this mess due to ByteDance's association with the game. A divestment from their gaming subsidiary Nuverse was part of a larger business restructuring. Despite leaving the gaming scene, ByteDance remained the publisher, leading to this peculiar scenario.
On Sunday, when gamers tried to log in, they were greeted with a message eerily similar to TikTok's, citing a US law ban and promising restoration once the situation is resolved. Trump, the incoming President, was mentioned in the TikTok message, but Marvel Snap's version stayed clear of any political references.
This is an unexpected turn of events, as most players were unaware of ByteDance's ties to Marvel Snap. The California-based studio, Second Dinner, is the game's face, and the community was surprised to learn about ByteDance's continued involvement.
Investigating further, I discovered other games affected by this ban, such as Warhammer 40,000: Lost Crusade, which had already shut down. Marvel Snap appears to be the highest-profile game to inadvertently join the list so far.
The peculiar twist to this tale is that TikTok's return would mean Marvel Snap's resurrection too. This situation becomes even more bizarre when considering the significant investments gamers made in Marvel Snap, potentially thousands of dollars for dedicated fans. Now, these investments seem to vanish into thin air, making this a fascinating and unexpected development in the gaming world.
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After the controversy surrounding ByteDance's divestment, the Marvel Snap game, published by ByteDance, encountered similar issues with a US law ban. Interestingly, the TikTok-like message on Marvel Snap avoided political references, despite ByteDance's tie-up with the game.
