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Club Penguin is shutting down and everyone is sad

<p><span class="cutline js-caption" style="display: block; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;">A screenshot from 'Club Penguin.'</span><span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(Photo: Disney)</span></p>

You might want to sit down: The original Club Penguin game is going away.

The developers of the Disney-owned online game confirmed Tuesday it will shut down the 11-year-old Club Penguin on March 29 to make way for a new experience — Club Penguin Island — launching on desktop computers and mobile devices. Players can transition to the new game when it launches just before the original game closes.

A huge virtual party will kick off February 1 and run through Club Penguin's close, and memberships will shut down as of Tuesday. However, any paid members will still enjoy the full experience through the shut down.

"We are deeply grateful for your time and enthusiasm since the beginning, and we’d like to thank each and every one of you in the Club Penguin community – we can’t wait for you to see what’s coming next," reads a statement from Club Penguin's creators.

The shut down marks the end of an era for the original Club Penguin, which launched in 2005. It was a social massively multiplayer online game aimed at kids, allowing them to explore a snow-covered virtual world as penguins. The game operated independently until 2007, when it was acquired by Disney.

Boasting an 11-year run, Club Penguin had plenty of time to amass a fan base, and they are very sad.

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