“Marvel Snap’s Unexpected Shutdown: The TikTok Ban’s Surprising Ripple Effect”

Don’t hold Thanos responsible: “Marvel Snap” is an unfortunate result of the U.S. government’s attempt to prohibit TikTok over concerns regarding its parent company’s links to China.

It isn’t just TikTok that went offline for users in the U.S. on Saturday, just hours prior to the January 19 deadline outlined by the U.S. divest-or-ban law aimed at TikTok. At least 10 more applications owned by ByteDance were also disabled and removed from app marketplaces on Saturday night due to a U.S. regulation that bans their distribution in the country unless the Beijing-based company sells the apps — including “Marvel Snap,” a digital card game featuring characters from the Disney-owned studio.

On Saturday night, “Marvel Snap,” crafted by Second Dinner and released by ByteDance’s Nuverse gaming division, was taken off Apple and Google app marketplaces. The application also showed a notice to American users stating that the game was temporarily out of reach.

“Regrettably, MARVEL SNAP is currently not accessible in U.S. app marketplaces and is impracticable to play in the U.S.,” Second Dinner mentioned in a statement shared on X late Saturday. “In an unexpected turn for Second Dinner and our publisher Nuverse, MARVEL SNAP was impacted by the takedown of TikTok late on Saturday, January 18th. MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere. We are actively engaged in restoring the game as swiftly as possible and will inform you once we have additional information to share.”

“Marvel Snap” debuted in October 2022. Marvel defines the game as follows: “The quickest card battler in the Multiverse is here! Assemble your Marvel dream team from an extraordinary roster of your favorite heroes and villains — then make your move. MARVEL SNAP unleashes the entire Marvel Universe into a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled, strategic card battler.”

SEE ALSO: TikTok Bans Operations in U.S.: What Comes Next?

Apple issued a notification on Saturday concerning “the availability of TikTok and ByteDance Ltd. applications in the United States,” clarifying that the applications can no longer be accessed in the country.

“Apple is required to adhere to the laws in the regions where it operates,” the notification states. “In accordance with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, applications developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will be unavailable for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States commencing January 19, 2025.”

The subsequent applications developed by ByteDance and its subsidiaries are impacted: TikTok, TikTok Studio, TikTok Shop Seller Center, CapCut, Lemon8, Hypic, Lark – Team Collaboration, Lark – Rooms Display, Lark Rooms Controller, Gauth: AI Study Companion and Marvel Snap.

According to Apple’s communication, the applications will stay on users’ devices if they have already been installed. Nevertheless, “they cannot be re-downloaded if removed or restored if you transition to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer feasible.” Additionally, “Users within the United States will not receive updates for these applications, which could potentially affect performance, security, and compatibility with future versions of iOS and iPadOS, and specific app functions may become limited or ceases to function as the app cannot acquire updates.”

The U.S. divest-or-ban legislation, affirmed on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court decision, imposes penalties of $5,000 per user (per app) on organizations that host or distribute ByteDance-controlled applications. The Biden administration had indicated it would refrain from enforcing the prohibition and that it would be the responsibility of the incoming President Donald Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on January 20, to determine how to proceed. However, TikTok asserted it was “compelled” to cease operations without assurance that partners like Apple and Google would not be subjected to the severe penalties.

Trump informed NBC News in an interview Saturday that he would “most likely” extend a 90-day period beyond the January 19 deadline requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok and other applications, as his administration seeks a viable resolution. However, under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the U.S. president must certify to Congress that there are “binding legal agreements” concerning the ByteDance divestitures for an extension to be granted — and there are no known such agreements presently in effect.