Second Dinner conducts layoffs as Marvel Snap developer restructures

6 articles · Updated · Kotaku · May 2

Studio chief Ben Brode said on Discord that several staff were cut on 1 May, including community manager Griffin Bennett, after players learned of the move through Bennett's X post.
Brode said the March roadmap for the mobile card game remains unchanged and described the cuts as painful but necessary to keep the studio going, not a sign of winding down.
The layoffs add to concern over Marvel Snap's struggles since going independent after the temporary US TikTok ban, amid complaints about bugs, balance, progression and possible rising licensing costs.

With its publisher gone and staff cut, is Marvel Snap's independence a lifeline or the beginning of its inevitable decline?

Can an independent studio afford Marvel's massive IP fees while competing in a market that's crushing even bigger games?