Club Penguin Star Wars Invasion, an event hosted within the Disney online virtual world for children, the MMO Club Penguin, took place between July 25 and August 15 of 2013. The announcement was initially made on ClubPenguin.com on June 20, 2013, followed by StarWars.com releasing an official trailer on their site in early July.
While the event showcased numerous characters from Star Wars, they weren't present as their true selves. Characters such as Princess Leia and Darth Vader were featured as wearable outfits for Club Penguin avatars, while Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were visible in promotional materials but were not integrated into the actual event. The narrative heavily drew inspiration from and parodied Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
During the event, many new rooms were introduced, all inspired by Star Wars planets and other recognizable locations. With the focus on the Original trilogy, specifically Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, themed rooms based on Tatooine, Yavin 4, and the first Death Star were implemented, alongside minor decorations across the Club Penguin island.
Club Penguin residents like Cadence, Sensei, and Herbert P. Bear embodied Princess Leia Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader, respectively. These were the only central figures to have active roles in the event.
Despite the limited presence of characters within the event, Club Penguin introduced a unique Star Wars catalog, enabling players to acquire and wear iconic costumes. This catalog featured outfits of Chewbacca, Tusken Raider, Greedo, and many others. However, the majority of these costumes were exclusive to players with a paid membership. Non-members could only obtain a bandfill and a kloo horn. A Boba Fett costume was also available, but exclusively through the Club Penguin App.
Each week saw penguins journey to different parts of the galaxy, participating in a minigame to defend it from Darth Herbert and the Galactic Empire.
During the first week, players were tasked with visiting Tatooine and winning the Defeat Stormtroopers minigame to earn a Stormtrooper Helmet. Paid members who played more received the Stormtrooper costume and Sandtrooper Pauldrons. In week two, players needed to travel to the Death Star and complete challenges to get a Rebel Trooper Helmet. During week three, players had to go to the Rebel Base on Yavin 4 to engage in aerial combat in an X-wing and receive an X-Wing Pilot Helmet.
Members had access to over twenty costumes from the Star Wars Catalog and could strive to become Jedi Masters. To achieve this, they needed to wield Anakin's Lightsaber and duel other penguins. Winning a duel would grant an item; accumulating thirty victories would unlock even more items.
Despite their appearances in various promotional materials, characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were only present in the game as costumes purchasable and wearable by players.