Tech Desk 
Jan 25, 2025
Marvel Snap, a widely loved mobile card game, is coming back to the App Store, much to the excitement of its fans. Known for its strategic gameplay and a roster of iconic Marvel characters, the game combines quick matches with exciting card mechanics. Players build decks featuring superheroes and villains to compete in fast-paced battles.
The game faced a sudden removal from app stores last weekend due to issues involving its original publisher, Nuverse, owned by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The TikTok-related outage affected several apps, including Marvel Snap, leaving players frustrated. However, the game came back online for players earlier this week.
Developer Second Dinner has stepped in to address the situation. On Thursday, the company announced that Marvel Snap was starting the process of returning to Google Play at 6pm PT/3pm ET. The team also shared that the game might reappear on both Google Play and Apple’s App Store as soon as next week.
To ensure future stability, Second Dinner is making big changes behind the scenes. The developer plans to bring more services under its control and work with a new publisher. For now, though, Nuverse is still handling the game’s operations, as noted in the privacy policy on the official website.
Second Dinner has also taken steps to compensate players affected by the outage. An admin on Marvel Snap’s official Discord server announced special compensation packages for affected users.
Moreover, US players or those with US activity in the last 30 days will receive in-game credits, tokens, and exclusive card variants. For players outside the US, a “Global Gratitude Package” with similar rewards (but fewer benefits) will be distributed.
Fans have praised this gesture, as it shows the developers’ commitment to addressing player concerns during the downtime.
What happened due to TikTok ban?
Marvel Snap wasn’t the only app affected by the TikTok outage. Other ByteDance-owned apps, such as CapCut and Lemon8, also went offline and remain unavailable in app stores. The situation highlighted the vulnerability of games and apps tied to publishers facing legal and political challenges.
Although the US TikTok ban is no longer enforced, it’s still unclear whether tech giants like Google and Apple could face legal risks for hosting such apps. The uncertainty has left fans of ByteDance-owned apps anxious.
