Smart Penguins shocked the community this week by taking an indefinite leave from army activity. Let us explore what could have led to this surprising development, and what happens next for the army!
Designed by Dino
Smart Beginnings
The Smart Penguins started their journey as Smarty Penguins, created by Vivek and Dinesh back in September 2013. Originally formed from a simple tracking chat, they soon formed a competitive army. Reputable for their AUSIA division, which dominated during the original Club Penguin era, the Smart Penguins have thrived since. They have gained a reputation for consistently growing like other armies and battling often. This made them one of the more reputable Small/Medium armies at the time.
Throughout its early stages, SP established itself as a legitimate army by taking home the Small/Medium Army Central Continental Cup in 2014. It also earned 7th place in the Club Penguin Army Central Top Ten. During 2016, SP fought the Army of Club Penguin in Legends Cup VII and knocked off the Striking Raiders in a war. They fought five wars at once, against the Rebel Penguin Federation, Golds, Security, Mighty Ducks, and Dark Warriors, defeating the Rebel Penguin Federation. Despite shutting down in 2017, Smart Penguins returned for two farewell events, just before the shutdown of the original Club Penguin, one of which served as the retirement event of Superhero123.
The last event of Smart Penguin’s first generation
A New Dawn, A Brief Pause
Once again in 2021, Smart Penguins reemerged under the leadership of Superhero123. They reached a peak of 22 penguins online for a dance parade. They then later appeared in Legends Cup XI and Challengers Cup II. After defeating the Golden Troops in a short war and placing 7th on the Top Ten, they shut down later in the year. They were even voted “Best New Army” during the Club Penguin Army Headquarters Summer Awards.
In 2025, Flypin and Zooy revived Smart Penguins once again, with permission from Army Legend Superhero123. They officially joined the International United Armies alongside the Aliens in April, showing a renewed commitment to community participation. However, on May 11, Zooy announced that the Smart Penguins will be going on a hiatus until further notice. Zooy clarified that the Smart Penguins would need 10 people to get registered again in the league. The commander of the Smart Penguins also clarified that the hiatus is not an act of giving up, but an attempt at rebuilding the army.
Zooy announces that SP will be going on hiatus
Club Penguin Armies sat down with Zooy to learn more about what led to Smart Penguins’ sudden hiatus.
What led you to the decision to place Smart Penguins on hiatus?
I and my co-leaders were quite occupied, and it didn’t seem like the situation was going to change anytime soon. Since Smart Penguins was dedicated to having new people be staff to give everyone an opportunity, our staff team wasn’t experienced enough to be able to handle such a situation, so it felt like it was in the best interest of Smart Penguins to go on temporary hiatus.
How do you plan to keep the community connected or engaged during this break?
We’re definitely going to continue to occasionally host Club Penguin events and a multitude of other kinds of events, we are just planning to temporarily withdraw from the demands of CPA. The future is uncertain, but we have goals in mind; the means to achieve those goals are still to be planned. We have a rough idea of what we’re going to do, but it’s just the availability of staff and leaders are still up in the air. Our hope is to grow SP during this break, not to lose members.
What qualities or changes would you like to see in Smart Penguins when it eventually reopens?
A stronger sense of community that stretches farther than just Club Penguin, and for Smart Penguins to be a home for skilled community members, such that we are composed of Smart Penguins. We hope to work on these during our hiatus. We want our newly hired staff to be more experienced, and for troops to be more involved with Smart Penguins activities and events!
As a leader, how has this experience shaped your perspective on army leadership?
My leadership in Smart Penguins has mirrored or paralleled my SWAT leadership quite a bit. SWAT was a long grueling fight to keep alive, an army I joined at its relative peak, which I stuck with through its hardest times; resisting any idea of hiatus or shutdown. For SP, I joined as a leader during its new generation founding, but when I saw that we were struggling, the idea of hiatus was something I considered earlier; I knew that prolonged lows weren’t going to help us long-term, it would just hurt morale. The main thing was how to re-affirm the hiatus’ purpose was positive, and not a symptom of a dying army.
I honestly believe I’ve met quite a few people that I could really bond with in the last few months of Smart Penguins, and I think it’s shown me that leading an army isn’t just about having however many troops or people online, however many trophies or battles you win; I’ve never led a winning army, but the difference has been what I’ve been striving for. I wouldn’t ask for any different co-leaders than Flypin1 and Superhero123, no matter how busy each of us are right now, we all care about SP as a community, yes about its competitive legacy too, but how we can foster a community of kindness and love that contrasts to the bitter rivalries of CPA. We dream of SP to be a fierce army that can hold its own in battle, and for it to be able to not lose sight of the joy of community. We haven’t achieved the first, nor have we improved to the maximum the latter. Leading SP has definitely been an experience for me, and yet it’s not even near the end of the journey I have planned in SP.
Fear the IQ!
The Smart Penguins have demonstrated several times that their spirit persists, whether through their excellence in AUSIA battling, gutsy feats of war, or relentless comebacks. This hiatus is simply a break, and not the end. While focusing on rebuilding with the belief that they could rise again, their saga lives on and is unwaveringly encouraging for those in the Small/Medium community. Will this be the calm before their next great return? What do you think will happen next for the Smart Penguins?
Zenishira
Senior Reporter
More Information
Interesting, but not concerning...