Marvel Snap publisher faces reports of shutdown, dev assures players the card game will "continue to operate"

Marvel Snap screen featuring an illustration of America Chavez — (Image credit: Second Dinner)

The parent company of Marvel Snap's developer may be shutting down entirely.

Earlier today, November 27, Reuters reported that Bytedance was restructuring its gaming company, Nuverse, in what was being described as a "retreat" from the gaming industry. Four people familiar with the matter told the outlet that Bytedance would look to "wind down" the Nuverse gaming brand.

You might not have heard of Nuverse, but you probably have heard of Marvel Snap. Nuverse is the publisher behind Marvel Snap, while the actual developer of the game itself is Second Dinner, the studio formed by former Hearthstone developers like Ben Brode.

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Nuverse was first formed back in 2019, and was widely seem as Bytedance's big push into the gaming industry at large. According to the Reuters report, although Marvel Snap has been something of a "cult hit" for Nuverse and Bytedance, it hasn't been a commercial hit for either.

This apparently leaves Nuverse's performance since 2019 "patchy," which is likely to be a large factor in Bytedance's alleged decision to step away from gaming and shutter its whole division. Right now, there's been no confirmation from Bytedance or Nuverse of the plans reported by Reuters.

Marvel Snap only just came to PC via Steam this August after starting out on iOS and Android devices. The likes of Sailor Squirrel Girl and Mecha Devil Dinosaur were rolled out as some big new cards to celebrate the launch, as well as other special limited-time rewards.

However, there's good news for the Marvel Snap players out there. Second Dinner tweeted earlier today that the game would remain online and "flourish" no matter what happens at Nuverse. It seems that the developers at Second Dinner are also in the dark as to what's going on with their parent company.

Dear SNAPPERS, Some of our players have expressed their concerns regarding reported structural changes at Nuverse. We wish to thank you for your concern and assure you that regardless of any changes at Nuverse, SNAP will continue to operate and flourish in the future!November 27, 2023

Our original Marvel Snap review heaped praise on the mobile game at launch, saying it'd "make you feel like a f**king genius."

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.