Top 10 2000s Virtual Hangout Games That Died (& What Went Wrong)

#10: Toontown Online

Disney’s 2003 stab at the virtual world game allowed users to create their own custom “Toons,” which looked vaguely like rejected Disney characters. The Cogs, robotic corporate overlords, were the main foe—though defeating them was just a loose storyline that contextualized the world Toons inhabited. Users were free to play poorly optimized games, chat using pre-approved phrases, and throw cream pies at one another (yes, this was a main feature). Simply put, the graphics were pretty rough, and the interface felt increasingly outdated as time went on. The lack of updates led to a dwindling playerbase. So just ten years in, Disney announced that the game would be permanently shut down, citing the unsustainability of its business model. Really, Disney was shifting focus to a more fruitful online hangout game they acquired: Club Penguin. (We’ll get there!) A fan-created revival of Toontown does exist today, and it strips away the paid membership barriers from the original game. So check out Toontown Rewritten for a bit of nostalgia, and a chance to don that sombrero you never had enough jellybeans to purchase before!

#9: Habbo Hotel

Scammers, mafia henchmen, cyber bullies, predators—Habbo had it all! Created by Finnish company Sulake in 2000, the pixel hotel features a number of public spaces to socialize in. But the main draw is the creative user-hosted rooms! The adoption centers, falling furni games, and trade spots were all immensely popular back in the day, but the seedy underworld of casinos really fueled player interest (and helped introduce children to gambling addiction). The hotel was always incredibly cliquey, serving as a place where guests could form core memories like being attacked by Habbo Club members for not having the cool clothes, or asked to participate in shady activities we can’t even name. “Bobba” will suffice. In 2012, a Channel 4 exposé revealed just how many adults role-playing as kids were exploiting young players, which forced Sulake to temporarily disable chat. By 2014, casinos were outright banned as well. Needless to say, the hotel had plenty of vacancy soon after. Habbo still exists today, though a number of updates over the years have made it practically unrecognizable. A side project, similar to Toontown Rewritten, was officially launched by Sulake in 2024 to rake in some nostalgia cash. Habbos, now grown up, no longer had to beg their parents for coins! But just 6 months in, Habbo Hotel Origins was practically dead too. Today, the main hotel is overrun by agencies, which recruit (and supposedly pay) users to… recruit other users? It’s unclear what these shady organizations even do, but they’re a perfect metaphor for the corporate shell the game has become.

#8: IMVU

Does anyone know what IMVU even stands for? Okay, apparently it’s Instant Messaging Virtual Universe. IMVU debuted in 2004 as the sleekier, sexier, 3D version of the social networking game fad. Emphasis on sexy—avatars were curvy, scantily clad models that probably had no business being as provocative as they were. Marketing clothes like “Baby T- Bad Kitty” to its young, teen audience was a choice. And a number of updates over the years have left avatars looking more like Bratz dolls with voluptuous, maxed out features. Since the game always leaned into the romance angle, it eventually evolved to incorporate an Access Pass that requires 18+ age-verification. However, with free-to-play elements becoming paid luxuries, bots swarming the game, and users spending half their time begging for items off their wishlist, it’s easy to see why IMVU lost a ton of players. It’s still up and running, but has developed a reputation for being a creepy teen dating game that would benefit from a lot more moderation. It’s safe to say the recent discontinuation of their customer service line might be an indication that the game is doomed.

#7: Second Life

If Habbo is the crude version of ToonTown, and IMVU is the lewd version of Habbo… then Second Life is the unhinged, adult-only version of IMVU. No really, Second Life is known for being the wild west of online hangout spaces. Players can be anything… like ANYTHING! And they can go anywhere too. A server housing a recreation of Amsterdam once sold for $50,000 on Ebay! Launching in 2004, the game spawned a sort of metaverse—but where every one of those universes could be a haven for profoundly raunchy antics. Focusing more on realistic graphics and high-fantasy, the game initially attracted users looking to be part of alternative communities; like joining a gang of vampires or… vampire strippers. Yes, Second Life has always been incredibly mature-themed, allowing users to modify and upload accessories that effectively enable full-out nudity. Because its players get deep into roleplay, and take the game very seriously, it’s also become a hotspot for trolls looking to clip content. Second Life has had a number of serious controversies too, like the inclusion of pornography, and a rather hilarious lawsuit where a man sued creators Linden Research, Inc. for banning his account that had virtual assets totaling upwards of $6,000. Much worse, in 2008 a woman was arrested after the failed abduction of a man she fell in love with in the game. Second Life is still accessible, but the huge drop in peak online players could point to its inevitable downfall.

#6: Gaia Online

Economics 101: hyperinflation is not limited to the real world. It applies to virtual worlds too! Gaia’s tradable currency allows Gaians to participate in auctions or user-to-user trades for collectible items—some of which are rare due to limited availability in shops. But its once healthy economy was totally destabilized by “gold generators” that randomized payouts during sales. The anime-style game, which went live in 2003, utilizes forums to supplement the somewhat lackluster minigames and chat room experiences. The early days saw some absurd shenanigans, like players figuring out a glitch that made their avatars nude. But like with most of these other games that saw a similar rise and fall, Gaia Online suffered from corporate greed—spurred by the loss of dedicated fans, and the need to milk its remaining players for all they’ve got. It’s sort of cyclical if you think about it. Increased emphasis on microtranscations and the introduction of marketplace taxes pushed players away, but became necessary evils to keep servers online. And online it is, though sort of operating more as a ghost town than the thriving village it once was. So much for those Angelic Halos Gaians once paid thousands of dollars for.

#5: Poptropica

This wonky, cartoonish, adventure game has a pretty familiar art style. That’s because it’s the creation of Jeff Kinney, who pens the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. Poptropica was developed in 2007, and featured problem-solving quests that advanced players through different islands. With a slightly more educational edge, the game was less about the sandboxy, make-your-own-world experience and more conquest driven. But that made it stand out! Hell, Time magazine even listed it in their 2011 collection of “50 Websites that Make the Web Great.” Sadly, it’s had quite the fall from greatness. Like some of its competitors, Poptropica only allowed for pre-scripted chat, and put most of the emphasis on world expansion. Except, those worlds quickly became overrun with sponsored ads, like the Cinnamon Toast Crunch challenge that forced you to watch commercials. The social element just wasn’t there to sustain a community, and locking certain islands behind a membership was the final nail in the coffin. The entire company behind the game shuttered in 2024, and Poptropica was ported over to Coolmathgames.com. (Woah, throwback!) Unfortunately, with tons of reports that it’s practically unplayable in its current state, Poptropica is now very far removed from its prime. With no new islands coming out, perhaps it's time to rebrand as Floptropica.

#4: Meez

On the other end of Time magazine’s ire, Meez was named one of the “Top 5 Worst Websites” on the internet in 2007 (right next to Second Life). This distinction was probably pretty accurate, considering it was taken offline with absolutely no warning roughly 10 years in. The Meez nation was established in 2006, and allowed residents to visit different “hoods” to chat. It was a safe space for self-expression if you were in your emo phase at the time! Though, to be honest, the graphics were pretty terrible. Avatars looked like uncanny, sleep paralysis demons that were accidentally generated by a corrupted AI. The already sluggish animations were routinely bogged down by hacks and exploits. There were even entire YouTube markets for tutorials on gaming challenges for greater rewards. Meez was like a fever dream of what virtual hangout games should look and feel like—as if someone tried to program one from memory. I mean, when you have body type options like “Booty Betty” and freaking “Pregnant Polly” you know the game is bonkers. Despite this, there was a period where the community was profitable, with millions of registered users. Considering the game was such a mess though, it fell apart rather quickly. There was no official reason ever given for the dissolution of the website, but it’s not hard to imagine what went wrong.

#3: Fantage

Yet another virtual world to fall victim to the 10-year life cycle, Fantage was a cutesy role-play game with Japanese aesthetics. Founded in 2007, the world offered more parent-approved features like word filtering and in-game reporting systems. But that didn’t stop the kawaii Fantagians from causing as much chaos as conceivably possible. Similar to Gaia, users experienced somewhat of a virtual recession thanks to the crashing in-game economy. As a result, players were willing to resort to extremes like trade scams and straight up account hacking to loot funds. Now there was a pirate roleplay game out around this time, but piracy seeped into the cherubic fantasy world of Fantage too. To make matters worse, employees at the company behind the game began speaking out about toxic workplace conditions. So really, nobody was coming to these poor kids’ rescue. With morale down the drain, the shiny veil lifted to reveal a pretty ugly community of cyber bullies. Digital famine can truly bring out the worst in people! With development priorities totally mismanaged by disgruntled staff members, and Fantagians becoming more trouble than they were worth, the game was shut down in 2018.

#2: Webkinz

Remember begging your parents to buy you a new Webkinz plushie so that you could use its digital access code to extend your online membership? Toy company Ganz was smart enough to launch the companion world in 2005 alongside its stuffed animal line, where you’d play as the pet you purchased. Genius! Well, that is until the bubble burst. A few years into launch, the physical toys themselves became less sought after. So in order to keep kids online, a freemium model was developed, allowing continued (albeit limited) access to the game. Webkinz can be defined in “eras.” There’s the classic era, which most players look back on fondly. Then came the Transition Era, which saw the discontinuation of some of the best games, like DiceKinz. A lot of the remaining minigames got stale pretty quickly; there’s only so many times you can mine for gems or visit Dr. Quack before you get bored. Because the game was aimed at very young children, social features were limited. As players began to age out, or simply tire of the limited gameplay, Ganz cooked up a successor: Webkinz Next. And… no. Just no. This is the era of Webkinz that turned fans away for good. The charm was gone, the interface was clunky, and it was abundantly clear this was not the same game players fell in love with. It’s another case of poorly animated 3D graphics managing to look worse than the timeless 2D style. By 2019, the plush pets were discontinued, and as of today, the game is effectively a relic.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Cue nostalgic montage!

Neopets, Bearville, Moviestar Planet, Ourworld, Pixie Hollow, Animal Jam

#1: Club Penguin

Nothing beat chilling in your decked out igloo with your puffle as you hosted a dance party. Club Penguin was your run of the mill buy-stuff, furnish-stuff, wear-stuff, play-stuff hangout space. But something about it was just magnetic. In a lot of ways, Club Penguin laid the blueprint for Roblox, with games themed around working a job. This offered kids a more structured form of roleplay. And sure, we’ve seen it before (like with the Webkinz employment office), but Club Penguin’s highly engaging challenges and emphasis on social interaction made it stand out in a sea of copy-cats. Nothing, absolutely nothing beats the sled racing game. The idea of waddling around Antarctica as a colorful penguin was innately absurdist, so rather than just abandoning the game when teenage years hit, players leaned into the whimsy. The “banned from club penguin” subreddit captures the meme-potential of the overly sensitive moderation bots. But considering everything we’ve learned, the downward trajectory of the game is rather predictable. It’s profitable, it peaks, it’s acquired by Disney, it’s corporatized, it bleeds its residents, it dies, it launches a horrifying 3D sequel, that dies too. Though the 2005 game is now defunct, and a number of fanmade reskins just can’t bring the magic back, we can still look back fondly on the memories made before that final shut down.

Which of these games did you log the most playtime in during its heyday? Share your memories in the comments!