Marvel Rivals may have been the most talked-about game since its launch, but there is also a thriving community of players for Marvel Snap, another Marvel game that launched earlier.
While the weekend was mostly focused on the closing down of TikTok in the US, many fans also noticed that the popular Marvel card game was closed down for some reason. So what happened?
How is Marvel Snap Connected to TikTok
According to VGC, Marvel Snap is one of several apps owned by Byte Dance, which owns TikTok. While TikTok may be the face of Byte Dance's ban, other apps were also affected; besides Snap, CapCut, and Lemon8 were banned in the US.
Here’s what the devs over at Marvel Snap had to say about the ban:
Fortunately for Marvel Snap players, the unavailability seems to have been an oversight, and the devs are working hard to get the game back up and running. So far, the main thing that the US wanted to be banned from Byte Dance was TikTok.
Why was TikTok Banned in the First Place?
The US government was concerned about TikTok because the app was allegedly used to gather user data, which China could then use against the US’s best interests.
The US was forcing Byte Dance to sell a significant portion of TikTok to a US owner, but the company refused, and the app was banned.
The interesting part of the argument is that TikTok’s user data gathering is no less invasive than that of local US companies like Google and Meta. Many are accusing the US of only wanting to ban the app because it has no real control over it. Why are other big tech companies allowed to operate in the same way that the US accuses TikTok of being capable of?
Ban Uplifted?
For now, TikTok received a temporary extension thanks to President-elect Donald Trump. Their official statement reads:
Admittedly, the ban on TikTok couldn’t be ignored, as it has a large user base, and some even use the app for their livelihood. The threat of national security doesn’t seem to be enough anymore when people need the app to make a living, and there are already US-based companies doing the same kind of data mining that they’re accusing the app of.
Marvel Snap hasn’t posed a national threat to the US, so it will likely be around to stay regardless of the situation with TikTok. With Marvel just gaining some new footing in the video game arena, Snap is undoubtedly one of the foundations of the Marvel gaming fandom.
TikTok is temporarily available again in the US, but audiences are still waiting to see how long it will remain. Marvel Snap is now available for Android, PC, and iOS.