Social Media

Is Poptropica shutting down?

Slanted Fish

Short answer: No. But it’s a bit more complicated than that…

Over the past couple of days, a message has been circulating that Poptropica would be shutting down by the end of the month. To address the concerns, Poptropica has put out official posts on Twitter (aka X) and Instagram to assure players that the game is sticking around.

Poptropica puts a positive spin on the rumor, adding that the game is now free to play for everyone, as memberships have disappeared.

The rumor began with a message posted on our Discord server, the PHC, from an account previously thought to represent Poptropica. It claimed that Poptropica would be discontinued after December 29. However, as Poptropica’s social media posts show, this turned out to be a hoax.

This message has been debunked.

The PHB regrets its part in lending legitimacy to the fake account, which had been given a ‘Poptropica Creator’ role label on our server since their first appearance over a year ago at our 2022 Poppies event. Though we acknowledged then that it was only a hunch, there were reasons to believe in its legitimacy.

Before this incident, the account only made occasional announcements related to the game, which had been documented on the PHB. At no point before this month did Poptropica come out to say that the Discord account was not theirs. The real Poptropica even liked our Poppies 2022 post on Instagram, where we had mentioned “a surprise visit from @poptropicacreators.” More recently, they had announced a Cyber Monday sale that turned out to be true, albeit predictable regardless.

Still, the account has since revealed itself to be an impostor through some out-of-character messages. Again, the PHB apologizes for our lack of due diligence in verifying the account’s status.

Prior to getting debunked, though, the message gained traction all over the internet, including a tweet from popular account DiscussingFilm (later deleted), plus “Poptropica” was trending on Twitter (again!).

Popular X account DiscussingFilm announced the shutdown but the post was later deleted.
“Poptropica” trending on X/Twitter
Thanks to Austin on the PHC for sharing these screenshots.

A few news sites even got in on the action: some like Delisted Games rectified their posts, while others such as ABC10 in California highlighted the shutdown scare after the story was debunked.

News mentions of the shutdown rumor
Poptropica denouncing the Discord message

The fake news came right on the heels of a major update that had Poptropicans panicking about a potential shutdown: the removal of membership in early December. As with many of Poptropica’s updates lately, there was no official comms around this news, leaving fans to speculate. Though on social media Pop has since spun this as a holiday gift to all, the game’s own messaging that memberships are “no longer offered” doesn’t ring the same. And why wait two weeks to announce it?

Before the fake news had dropped, Poptropica fan Sleepy Biker reached out to Shan Eisenberg, Chief Commercial Officer at Sandbox, Poptropica’s parent company, to ask about what the membership removal meant for Poptropica’s future. Shan had replied back that he “got feedback from [his] colleagues at Poptropica that they are going to communicate shortly” — only the fraud had beaten them to it.

Meanwhile, the PHB’s Gentle Dolphin also reached out to another Pop Creator, Jon Pitcher, to ask about the game’s current situation. Jon’s response was to redirect back to the official Poptropica Twitter account. Though their individual responses are understandable, it’s a little concerning that Poptropica isn’t speaking much to fans’ worries.

Shan Eisenberg responding to Sleepy Biker
Gentle Dolphin’s messages with Jon Pitcher

Looking back on Poptropica’s social media posts announcing that they are sticking around, their wording doesn’t firmly push back on the idea of their shutdown — only that it isn’t as soon as we thought. On Twitter they say they are here “on December 31st,” while on Instagram they say they’re not shutting down “at the end of the year.”

Maybe we’re reading too much into it, but the lack of official comms (their last social media updates were in September, and their blog hasn’t been updated since February, almost a year ago) and the removal of membership have definitely rung warning bells in the minds of many. At the very least, we hope that this whole situation reminds Poptropica to keep us more closely updated on their official channels!

Another concerning development is the fact that many pages on Poptropica’s website are not currently accessible, resulting in a 502 error. This includes the Creators’ Blog, Parents Overview, and Help pages. The game is still playable, though players reported getting this error message at the height of the shutdown rumor, so perhaps it may just be an issue of server overload from too many trying to access it.

(UPDATE, Dec 26, 2023: The aforementioned webpages are now back online.)

(UPDATE, Jan 3, 2024: The Creators’ Blog has since disappeared.)

On the whole, we’re relieved to hear that the game isn’t going away this year in 2023. But as for how imminent the end may be — time will tell.

~🐠

PHB Specials

Poptropica Characters as Pokémon Trainers 🐰🐦🤩

Gentle Dolphin

Hello, fellow trainers! What would Poptropica characters be like if they lived in the world of Pokémon. What types of trainers would they be? What Pokémon would they use on their teams? We’ll look at three of these hypothetical trainers today. You can consider this as a spiritual sequel to our PHB Pop-over post about Popémon Go.

SCIENTIST DR. HARE WANTS TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Professor Harvey Hare was once a respected professor who studied Pokémon biology. Everything changed when an incident involving Infinity Energy fused his DNA with that of a rabbit Pokémon. Now he goes about his days stealing berries and plotting world domination. 🐰🧪

  • Wigglytuff– This Pokémon matches Dr. Hare to a T. Both are perfectly pink, have similar rabbit ears, and hide great power behind their cute appearances.
  • Diggersby– Aside from Wigglytuff, Diggersby is the only other rabbit Pokémon that fits Dr. Hare. Its powerful ears can dig through the ground and lift heavy items. I can see Diggersby helping Dr. Hare build his inventions and laboratories.
  • Orbeetle– It’s a simple nerd turned mad scientist, fitting of our favorite mad doctor. Plus, its Gigantamax form is capable of controlling the minds of others.
  • Hypno– Speaking of mind control, Hypno’s most infamous Pokédex entry states: “It carries a pendulum-like device. There once was an incident in which it took away a child it hypnotized.” Dr. Hare would likely use Hypno to “recruit” children to work for him.
  • Alolan Raticate– The Alolan variant of this classic Pokémon can command Alolan Rattata to retrieve produce, which is extremely helpful for Dr. Hare. Plus, this could be a nod to the giant rats found in the carrot cake factory’s sewer system.
  • Durant– The Iron Ant Pokémon is a nod to the ants that plague Dr. Hare’s dream in Super Villain Island. Maybe he uses Durant to conquer his myrmecophobia?

GYM LEADER AMELIA WANTS TO TEST YOUR SKILLS!

Amelia is a lot of things in the world of Pokémon: a pilot, an adventurer, a landowner, an entrepreneur, and (most important for this post) a gym leader. She tests new trainers with her Flying-type Pokémon and sends them off with cash and words of wisdom. Her first four Pokémon are on her gym team, but her last two are her personal picks. 🐦🎈

  • Pidgeot– This iconic Route 1 bird is a great choice for many trainers. It’s a strong, fast, and striking bird of prey.
  • Braviary– Our American-born pilot has what’s probably the most American Pokémon out there. Aside from nationality, both are loyal and willing to fight for their friends no matter the cost.
  • Corviknight– While Amelia’s team has plenty of strong Flying-types, her Corviknight is the strongest of them all. Outside of battle, it helps her with transportation and deliveries.
  • Drifblim (Shiny🌟)– Amelia had a starring role in Monkey Wrench Island, which showed the origins of the iconic yellow blimp. It makes sense for to have not just any ordinary Drifblim, but one representing Pop’s yellow and blue. 💛💙
  • Polteageist– Amelia’s side quest revealed a few things about her, one of which was her love of tea. Polteageist would be a tea-riffic companion, but it’s best not to drink too much of its ghostly tea.
  • Galarian Ponyta– Amelia doesn’t just love adventure and tea. Her side quest also revealed her unicorn obsession. Galarian Rapidash resembles the pastel “My Little Pony” type of unicorns that she loves so dearly.

POKÉMON COORDINATOR DJ SATURDAY NITE WANTS TO PERFORM!

DJ Saturday Nite is a Pokémon Coordinator, a type of trainer who raises Pokémon to compete in Pokémon Contests. Her performances have a focus on music, singing, and synchronizing her Pokémon’s moves to the beat. Of course, a coordinator needs a team that’s ready for the spotlight. 🤩👩‍🎤

  • Cosplay Pikachu– Anyone big in the contest scene would be crazy to not have Cosplay Pikachu. This special Pikachu is most frequently dressed as Pikachu Pop Star, matching her trainer’s style.
  • Loudred– The Big Voice Pokémon is the perfect partner for a DJ. Just watch the Detective Pikachu movie and see what I mean.
  • Oricorio– Oricorio is as talented as it is versatile. It can learn four different dance styles depending on which type of nectar it drinks.
  • Amped Form Toxtricity– Just like its trainer, this punk rock lizard loves music and knows how to put on a good show!
  • Tsareena– Tsareena is a beautiful Pokémon with a commanding stage presence. Its pre-evolution, Steenee, is known for dancing. Nite’s Tsareena would have likely kept this habit after evolving.
  • Starmie– Poptropica’s resident DJ incorporates a lot of star imagery in her wardrobe, and she’s a star in her own right. It makes sense to give her the biggest star Pokémon out there.

That’s all for now! I had a lot of fun designing Pokémon-styled versions of these characters. This might become a series if there’s enough interest from readers.

What do you think of these trainer concepts? What other Pop characters do you want to see as trainers, and what Pokémon would they use? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin 🐬

Uncategorized

Ignited by membership axe, Poptropicans protest game’s decline 🙅‍♀️

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans — you may have seen our recent news on how Poptropica has removed paid memberships and the follow-up where they made all previously members-only content free. 🤔

In all the hubbub, many are fearing that this could mean curtains for the game — a sentiment echoed across X (formerly known as Twitter), with high engagement on our recent post about the news. 👀

Tons of engagement on the post — showing tons out there still care.

So far, the tweet has garnered 2.7 million views, 600+ retweets, 1.2K likes, and 400+ saves — much higher than our usual stats on the social media platform. It’s also attracted over 70 replies, with many fearing the game’s end and calling for Poptropica not to shut down.

As dire as the news may sound, the fact that so many fans are making noise is an optimistic sign that there’s still a sizable community out there that cares about Poptropica. And if you count yourself among them, we encourage you to voice your thoughts, too! 📣

You can leave a comment on this blog post, on our tweet, on our Discord server, or share your story in a ‘My Place in Poptropica‘ or other guest post. Let the Poptropica Creators know what the game means to you and encourage them to keep it going. 🏝️ We’ll keep on poppin’ on!

~🐠

Fanfiction, Guest Posts

Fanfic: Seven Systems 🪐 Part 1: The Airship

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by HeartOfEnder. Enjoy!

Welcome to a new fanfiction written by HeartOfEnder! This one is different from my previous fanfic on the PHB, The Witch’s Heart, because it takes place in a different timeline. But first, allow me to explain the inspiration behind this new fanfiction.

Last year, I wrote two Popspiracy posts regarding the Baron and their backstory, with the second part being more focused on the Red Queen and all the lore shared alongside her reveal. My original plan was to wait until the official conclusion of her story and make a follow-up post where I go over my theory and see if any of them were true, but as of writing this, the Baron’s ship hasn’t shown up since last year. 

With the Pop Creators still being quiet on the current state of Poptropica, and suspicions that the game might end, I decided to do what I do best. If the Creators aren’t going to conclude the Red Queen story, then I’m going to use my powers of writing to create a fanfiction of how I think the story will end. 

This is exactly what Seven Systems is about. It’s a continuation of Poptropica’s story told through the Baron’s airship visits and based on my theory about their backstory and the Red Queen’s motives.

The protagonist of Seven Systems is Tempest, who takes the role of the player in the story. She is based on myself and my main non-Poptropica OC, but more on her story and her past will be addressed in the future…

“Tempest” by HeartOfEnder

THE SEVEN SYSTEMS
Part One: The Airship
A Poptropica Fanfiction by HeartOfEnder/Solemn-Siren

Home Island was covered in snow, with Grapple-Pap decorations being put outside shops, homes, and in the streets. By now it was so cold that everyone walking outside was wearing heavy winter coats, beanies, and gloves. The island was covered in green, red, and most importantly, white.

On top of a gray house with a blue roof just across Adventure Outfitters, there was someone lying down on the roof, the snow falling and piling up on her body. The cold winter didn’t seem to bother her as she stared out at the horizon, as if she was waiting for something. 

Two Poptropicans walked past the gray house, noticing the mysterious Poptropican on top. They muttered something before shrugging and continuing on.

The Poptropican atop the gray house remained motionless, still staring out at the horizon. The snow was beginning to form a giant white blanket on her, but she didn’t seem to care. 

???:

Wait, is that it? Could it be? 

Continue reading “Fanfic: Seven Systems 🪐 Part 1: The Airship” →
Guest Posts, My Place in Poptropica

My Place in Poptropica: Magic Kid

Slanted Fish

This is a guest post from Magic Kid sharing their My Place in Poptropica story, which is all about one’s Poptropica journey. Enjoy!

Hello there! It’s Magic Kid here. In light of recent events with membership going down, I’m going to be sharing a “My Place in Poptropica” story. (Don’t worry, I’m still working on my fanfic. 😀)

Getting Introduced to the Game

I was introduced to Poptropica in third grade by one of my friends who absolutely LOVED it. I started playing and quickly I realized why he loved it so much. Soon my other friend joined in, and then not long after, Poptropica became a big hit in our classroom! 

No one (well, maybe besides my friend who completed every island) was as obsessed with Poptropica as I was. I spent an excessive amount of time playing poptropica nonstop played it on a regular basis and definitely got the right amount of sleep every night.

Tuck In: Time for a long night’s sleep.

The first island I completed (well, besides the Monkey Wrench tutorial) was 24 Carrot. It’s the island I’ve probably played the most times, and it always will have a special place in my heart. (That’s why I lay off Dr. Hare a bit when he’s being roasted for being overrated.)

An island I had a lot of fun doing in particular was Mythology, probably because I knew all the stories. I was an expert at that island, and I remember the other kids in my classroom always came to me when they were stuck on that island.

Around that time, I noticed and strongly disliked when games force-fed me knowledge and facts, but with Poptropica, I didn’t care. In fact, Poptropica actually encouraged me to try to learn more! After playing Virus Hunter, I wanted to know how viruses worked, after Time Tangled, I wanted to learn more about history, and so on. I had so much fun playing Poptropica. It was my favorite thing to do!

It seemed nothing could go wrong.

Good to Know: Poptropica is your one-stop shop for biology facts.

Things Go Wrong

Of course, things go downhill. I moved away from all my friends, and I didn’t play Poptropica as often anymore. During that time of chaos, Flash — Poptropica’s main engine for over a decade — met its end.

Play on Loop: Let’s try to keep things on track.

Monster Carnival, my favorite island, was gone, along with so many islands I loved so very much. So I played even less. My homework was no longer covered in Poptropica doodles. I only logged in once a month (if I remembered to), and that continued for many years.

Costume Contests

One day (after a few months without logging on), I opened Poptropica to see that there was a new island! I was really excited and I played it a few times soon after. Not only was there a new island, but the Baron’s ship was parked at Home Island. I went up that ladder to find out that I could design a costume and get it in the game! The spark was lit again.

I started drawing so many different types of Poptropicans, it was crazy. I did almost nothing else. To the dismay of my parents (who ban video games, and dislike computer games 🤣), I was obsessed once again!

Evil, Inc.: Three takes on one villain.

I kept submitting costume designs month after month, but nothing I made seemed to catch the Poptropica Creators’ eyes. Still, I understood because there must have been a TON of submissions to go through each month, and I was still learning to draw in Poptropica style.

Then the 12 Days of Member Gifts design contest came. I submitted my limit of ideas and waited.

Day seven (my favorite number) came, and I opened the Creators’ Blog to find that my costume, “Just Chillin'” made it in! If you look at the comments on that post, you can see that I was beyond delighted to have had that happen. It was absolute glee of the purest sort! May have been an overreaction, but what the heck, who cares?

“Just Chillin'” by Magic Kid

Discovering the PHB and the Fandom

I found the PHB through an interview on the Creators’ Blog. I started checking in once in a while, read some posts, and then started commenting, too! I saw a Community Creations post and I began entering. Since the Creators’ Blog hadn’t posted anything for a while, I retreated into the PHB. I started remembering screen names and making friends. Plus, I was becoming a better artist by the day!

I started a fanfiction: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! I have a lot of fun writing it (when I don’t have writer’s block). And I joined the PHC on Discord, where I have a lot of fun chatting about random theories and stuff. I love it there so much!

“The PHB team” by Magic Kid

I was really excited that there was a fandom! Normally with the stuff I’m into, the fandoms are either massive or non-existent. Finding the Poptropica fandom was a Goldilocks moment for me. 

This may sound odd, but Poptropica’s been a good rock for me — a good place I could go back to after a stressful day of work, a hard time with school, and so on. I’m really grateful for this fandom and for the game. I wish the best for its future.

I hope you enjoyed hearing my “My Place In Poptropica” story. You can friend me with the username: BravestChicken. I’m also on DeviantArt and YouTube. If you’re interested, I can try to draw some Popsonas!

Thank you so much for reading,
Magic Kid

Over and Out!

Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story! If you did, you’ll probably enjoy our other MPIP stories here on the PHB.

If you haven’t already shared your story, we invite you to send in your own. Interested in writing for the PHB under a different Pop-topic? Take a look at our Write for the PHB page for ideas, guidelines, and more!