Marvel Snap Returns: Developers Seek New Publisher

In an unexpected turn of events, TikTok's temporary shutdown in the US on January 19 had ripple effects beyond social media. Marvel Snap, the popular digital card game developed by Second Dinner Studios and published under Nuverse—a subsidiary of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company—was caught in the crossfire and became temporarily inaccessible to players.

After a full day of downtime, the game has partially returned online, though it's still undergoing maintenance to restore complete functionality. Notably, in-game purchases remain unavailable as developers work to stabilize all systems. In response to the disruption, the development team has announced plans to shift some backend services in-house and is considering a change in publishing partners, as revealed in an official post on Platform X (formerly Twitter).

This strategic pivot is being driven by growing political uncertainty surrounding TikTok in the US. The platform was granted only a brief 90-day extension to negotiate the sale of a 50% stake to a US-based investor. If this deal doesn't materialize, both TikTok and its affiliated products—including Marvel Snap—could face another forced shutdown.

Second Dinner Studios has promised further updates as more details become available. Meanwhile, many players have taken to forums and social channels to express frustration over login issues that arose during the outage. Interestingly, PC users were still able to access the game via Steam, offering a small reprieve for those hoping to continue playing uninterrupted.

The development team admitted they were as surprised by the incident as the players were and assured fans they are working diligently to return the game to full operation. In a statement posted on Platform X, they emphasized their commitment to the community:

“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.”

One of the most frustrating elements of the outage was the lack of prior warning. Many players continued making in-game purchases right up until the service went offline, only to be locked out without notice or explanation shortly thereafter. This sudden disruption has sparked discussions around data security, continuity planning, and the broader risks of relying on platforms facing regulatory uncertainty.