The TikTok Ban lasted for around fourteen hours in North America, as the social media video platform skirted it’s own destruction in the West. Alongside the App, there were various games that got the axe in a similar vein, with the biggest easily being Marvel Snap. The beloved mobile game would see players collect cards of their favorite Marvel heroes and villains, garnering quite the player base in a relatively short amount of time. While it might have been missed originally, an anime mobile game suffered the same fate as Snap but was able to rise again once TikTok and the Chinese companies affected got a new lease on life in the U.S.
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The anime game in question that was initially banned was One-Punch Man – The Strongest, a turn-based free to play role playing game that assembled the biggest heroes and villains from the beloved anime franchise. First launching in 2019, the game was one that continued to add new characters to its roster over time. Since TikTok was reinstated quickly following the ban, so to was One-Punch Man’s mobile game able to do the same. The Saitama focused app is owned by Shanghai Moonton Technology, which in turn is owned by ByteDance. In Marvel Snap’s case, the card game was developed by Nuverse but was still under the ByteDance banner, hence the ban.
[RELATED: Marvel Snap Is Back Online Following Brief Ban]
Saitama Returns
On January 19th, One-Punch Man – The Strongest released the following message to fans regarding its original ban, “Dear Players, we regret to inform you that One Punch Man – The Strongest will be closed on January 19th, 2025. We understand this may be disappointing. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support. It has been a remarkable journey and we’re thankful to have shared it with you. Thank you once again for your understanding and for being a part of our gaming community.”
This year won’t just see Saitama returning in the mobile market, but with the third season of his anime adaptation as well. With anime fans waiting years to see the “Hero For Fun” return to the small screen, reportedly, Saitama’s story will continue in 2025. With J.C. Staff releasing a string of new character posters, One-Punch Man season three might be making a comeback shortly.
Will One-Punch Man Remain The Strongest?
Unfortunately, the return from the grave might only be temporary as TikTok and Bytedance were simply granted a seventy-five day reprieve once the ban was lifted. When the social media video service did return, it shared a message with users regarding its comeback that read,
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
Want to see what the future holds for Saitama and the Hero Association? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One-Punch Man and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
