Club Penguin Rewritten
A fan recreation of Club Penguin, shut down by Disney.
Club Penguin Rewritten was a 2017 fan game based on the original Club Penguin, created by two indie developers as an alternative after Disney shut down the original game on March 30, 2017. It gained a large online community during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering nostalgic escapism and free access to previously paid items, and was recognized by original Club Penguin developer Lance Priebe for its social impact.
- launched
- February 12, 2017
- shut down
- April 13, 2022
- field
- Fan game / Massively multiplayer online game
- known for
- Recreating Club Penguin without paid membership; hosting virtual events during the pandemic
- registered users at shutdown
- over 11 million
- peak daily new users
- 30,000 (reported in March 2020)
Quick Facts
- Launched
- 2017-02-12
- Discontinued
- 2022-04-13
- Platform
- Online (Adobe Flash, HTML5 client); later standalone HTML5
- Website
- url=https: · web.archive.org/web/20220412233455/https: · cprewritten.net · title=Club Penguin Rewritten website · date=April 12, 2022
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Club Penguin Rewritten was developed voluntarily by two semi-anonymous EU-based students known as Codey and Hagrid, who had prior experience with their own projects. The game was built by restoring original Flash source code and simulated older versions of Club Penguin, labeled 'AS2' by the community. After the original game's shutdown, the development team expanded and began supporting email troubleshooting and moderation. The developers claimed fair use protections in the United States and included a disclaimer stating the game was an independent recreation not affiliated with Disney.
Reader's Guide
Club Penguin Rewritten's significance lies in its role as a preservation effort and a social hub during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided a free, nostalgic environment for teens and young adults who had played the original game, hosting virtual proms, graduations, and a concert for Soccer Mommy's album Color Theory. The game was praised for its community focus and player freedom, and was acknowledged by original Club Penguin co-founder Lance Priebe. Its shutdown by the City of London Police under a copyright investigation, with three arrests, highlighted tensions between intellectual property enforcement and fan preservation. The game's legacy includes influencing other private servers and sparking debate about Disney's handling of community-driven projects.
Did You Know?
- Club Penguin Rewritten was launched on February 12, 2017, before the original Club Penguin shut down on March 30, 2017.
- The game averaged 30,000 new registered users daily during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a staff member.
- Singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy hosted a virtual concert for her album Color Theory within the game on April 3, 2020.
- The website was taken over by the City of London Police, and three suspects were arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement.
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