Voices of the Veterans: IceQueen1020’s Ice Warriors Legacy
In this edition of Voices of the Veterans, we sit down with IceQueen1020, who tells us all about her extraordinary tenure as Ice Warriors Leader. From stumbling upon blue penguins in 2020 to leading one of the community’s most decorated armies, IceQueen’s journey embodies dedication, friendship, and the transformative power of the CPA community. Read on as we dive deep into her history.
The Blue Penguins That Changed Everything
The year was 2020 with the world in lockdown. A friend’s casual message of “Club Penguin is back” sparked a chain of events that would define the next three years of IceQueen’s life. Creating an account with the nostalgic username IceQueen1020 (a callback to her 2010 Club Penguin days), she logged into a virtual world that promised an escape from pandemic isolation. What happened next was unexpected. On a random evening, blue penguins marched across her screen in perfect unison, advertising coin giveaways and codes for a community called Ice Warriors. For someone who had never been part of an online community before, the sight was one for the memory book. IceQueen’s eyes lit up as she created a Discord account for the first time, purely to join this mysterious blue army.
“I was quite weary and shy,” IceQueen recalled with a laugh. “You would NOT think that now.”
From Shy Troop to Troop of the Week
Her first few months allowed her to find her footing. Participating in events sporadically, observing the culture, learning tactics and slowly building friendships. Despite her quiet start, she didn’t shy away from events, with the most pivotal moment occurring then. Along came June 2020 where IceQueen participated in a hide and seek game and, for the first time, joined the voice chat. The comfort of coming out of her shell pushed IceQueen to get more involved. With her initial shyness gone, she received her very first Troop of the Week award. The recognition of being the best member that week spurred her on, solidifying her place in Ice Warriors.
By early July 2020, IceQueen had been promoted to Staff in Training by creator Iceyfeet1234 where she was adopted immediately into the ‘family tree’. Already having a set of ‘parents’, she didn’t let it break bonds and instead, she pushed on further. This would later prove great for her, as what came next only further stamped her place in the army.
The Water Ninjas Chapter: Where Leaders Are Forged
September through December 2020 marked IceQueen’s transformation from a shy troop to trusted leader. A kind of evolution that makes a veteran’s story worthy of the Voices of the Veterans column. As she was promoted to IW trusted staff, an opportunity that would define her leadership style would arise: co-leading Water Ninjas, Ice Warriors’ colony.
“It was ALOT of hard work and ALOT of responsibility,” IceQueen admits. “However, it was a crucial time that shaped me into the IW Leader I was for the last two years.”
The experience gained wasn’t special because of the work, but rather the team. Leading alongside friends Kally, DrQueen and Freedomist, they built a chemistry and shared vision that spoke volumes. They transformed Water Ninjas from a typical small/medium army to a staple in the major community.
“The bonds and the friendship we have is so strong,” IceQueen reflected. “It really reflected in our teamwork, our shared goals, and how we performed as leaders both in Water Ninjas and Ice Warriors.”
During this period, she also connected with Erick, who would become her mentor later on. His guidance proved instrumental in her development as she began collaborating with Iceyfeet1234 on revamping the SIT program. When Adobe Flash ended in December 2020, the community faced uncertainty. Water Ninjas held a bittersweet final event celebrating the end of the CPPS Flash Era. The chapter had closed, but IceQueen’s leadership journey was just beginning.
Ascending to the Summit
2021 was a year of milestones. On January 22nd, IceQueen became IW LIT (Leader-in-Training) as Ice Warriors transitioned to Club Penguin Rewritten for CPA events. She worked alongside the legendary 2020 generation of IW Leaders, absorbing their wisdom while leaving her own mark. Together with Icey and DrQueen, she helped lay the foundations of the SIT Academy, a structured training program that would become a model for leadership development. Ice Warriors continued their dominance, winning March Madness for the second consecutive year. Then came July 10th, 2021, the day IceQueen was promoted to Ice Warriors Leader. The girl who had joined shy and uncertain now stood at the helm of one of CPA’s most storied armies. Ice Warriors closed the year by winning Army of the Year 2021, cementing their place at the top.
The Threepeat and the Test
2022 brought both triumph and challenge. Ice Warriors achieved what they believed to be impossible: winning March Madness for the third year in a row. The leadership team that delivered this historic achievement? The same core group from Water Ninjas: Kally, DrQueen, Freedomist, joined by Levelz and QtBen.
“I could not have had a better leadership team to work with,” IceQueen said, her pride evident.
However, by the end of 2022, real life intervened. Many of her co-leaders retired due to IRL commitments. For the first time, the weight of Ice Warriors rested primarily on IceQueen’s shoulders. It was a test of everything she had learned—about leadership, resilience, and the power of community.
“A Leader is nothing without their team,” IceQueen emphasised. “Ice Warriors continued to prove time and time again why we have the #IWBESTSTAFFTEAM.”
The army rallied. Ice Warriors closed 2022 and started 2023 with renewed energy, hitting peak sizes of 30+ and 40+ troops. The credit, IceQueen insists, belongs to Icey’s relentless recruiting sessions and staff members who showed up event after event.
Ice Warriors Closure and Later Years
March 2023 forced IceQueen to make her toughest decision as leader: closing Ice Warriors’ CPA operations. Declining activity across the wider community, combined with internal struggles, made it impossible to sustain the army as a competitive force. Instead, the army shifted its focus toward becoming a gaming and community server. Even after CPA operations ended, Ice Warriors celebrated a successful 16th Anniversary week, proving that the spirit of the army never disappeared. That resilience and adaptability capture exactly why IceQueen’s story belongs in Voices of the Veterans. Her leadership represented the very best of what armies can be.
“It was a very tough time for everyone,” she admits. “The decision weighed heavily, but Ice Warriors proved once again that their strength wasn’t just in tactics or event sizes—it was in their community bonds.”
After retiring from Ice Warriors in August of that year and following the army’s shift toward a gaming-style server, IceQueen has remained active within the community. Whether competing in tournaments or advising armies, she continues to contribute wherever she can. Through recent advisory roles in Dark Warriors and Void Troops, she continues to share new ideas and shape the community beyond her time on the battlefield.
Voices of the Veterans Interview: Advice for the Next Generation
In true Voices of the Veterans tradition, we sat down with IceQueen to extract the wisdom earned through three years of leadership, countless battles, and the highest highs and lowest lows of army life. Here’s what she had to say to the next generation of CPA leaders.
1. What were your greatest achievements during your army career?
My greatest achievement would be winning March Madness in 2022 alongside Kally, DrQueen, Freedomist, Levelz and qtBen. It marked our third consecutive win in a row for this tournament and was truly such a massive feat, #THREEPEAT! We defeated RPF in the semi-finals and went for the trophy in the finals against HF. We were so proud and happy that IW carried on its legacy paved by previous IW Leaders in 2020 and 2021.
There are so many memorable moments in my army career, I have mentioned a few below:
– Golden age of WNCP October – December 2020
– CPA Judge for several tourneys mainly in 2021 and 2022
– Establishment of the IW SIT Academy June 2022
– Ice Warrior’s transition from CPA army to a diverse gaming community server in 2023
2. How did you feel about these achievements at the time?
I have had the opportunity to be the 16th IW Leader in the CPPS Era and the 1st IW Leader in the Gaming Community Era. It truly has been an an honour and I have felt so so loved. IW’s community will always remain as an extension to my heart. There are also so many precious memories, my retirement post from August 2023 is filled with the ones I could fit in. To the dearest, beautiful kind souls I have met along the way, some who have become my life-long friends, I love you. IW will always stay true to its values and core: wholesome, loving, caring and loyal. IW will always be like a home which you can return to.
3. Insights and lessons you’ve learned from your experience in armies?
There were several lessons, skills and reflections I picked up along the way. The beauty in friendship, the development of my character, being able to be myself and not hide my personality. IW really helped me find my inner child and inner confidence and gave me so much love that I will never be able to repay. Even with all the challenges, struggles and the occasional heartache, stress and strain, I would ride the IW Rollercoaster all over again.
I’m still notorious for having time management fiascos to the point where my friends created my own timezone IQST (icequeen standard time) LOL. However, managing IW, being a full time student and then working from 2023 as well as being the eldest daughter in my family, all of it taught me to prioritise, and to never be afraid to say no and to put my well-being first: #loveyourselves
The only thing I would change is the contunious energy I put in to deal with conflict and community drama. It became very draining as I was emotionally invested, therefore it had an impact on my well-being and friendships. It’s very important to put our emotions aside but it is hard when you’re working with your close friends! It’s a skill you gradually become better in with time.
4. Do you have any advice or orientations for the future of the army community?
Hmm my advice for the future of the army community… it’s always continuously changing / developing, enjoy it whilst you’re here and create good bonds and memories! CPA was on a slow decline in 2022, I would never have predicted that CPA would be going strong even in 2026. Those who had genuine will-power, dedication, drive and spirit strived to keep our club penguin army communities alive! I salute all the power-houses that have graced us and those who are still going strong today, o7. ~ Mitochondria are the true power-houses! iykyk.
If you would like to rank up and become an army leader or even create your own army, follow your dreams! We’re all here because we love the community, the friends and the nostalgia. Choose an army that you like the vibe off, attend events, be active in chat, ask staff how you can help and have fun! You’ll surely achieve it one day. Creating your own army is alot more challenging, you gotta have the basics down first and the best way to get that is to get experience in an existing army. #Don’tFreezeUp! ❄️
A Legacy Written in Blue
IceQueen’s *Voices of the Veterans* feature captures a journey from accidental discovery to legendary leadership. She arrived as a curious newcomer in 2020, attracted by blue penguins and coin giveaways. She left in 2024 as one of Ice Warriors’ most accomplished leaders, having led the army through historic victories, navigated unprecedented challenges, and helped shape the next generation of leadership.
Her story reminds us that greatness doesn’t require a grand plan—sometimes it starts with showing up, trying something new, and saying yes to opportunities that scare you. From that first Hide & Seek game to the March Madness threepeat, IceQueen shaped her legacy through the countless lives she touched and the community she built.
*Voices of the Veterans* exists to preserve these stories. The wisdom, the struggles, and the triumphs that define our community’s great leaders. IceQueen’s journey from shy troop to dynasty leader will inspire future generations of CPA soldiers who wonder if they have what it takes to lead.
