April 1st has come and gone, marking the end of another year of playful pranks from the video game industry. However, the April Fool's Day gag from the team behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 might just stick around a bit longer in fans' memories.
On April 1st, Focus Entertainment, the publisher of Space Marine 2, announced a new Chaplain class as a DLC. They humorously stated, "In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine," no doubt enjoying the jest from behind their screens.
This faux DLC was said to introduce the Chaplain as a playable character in the story mode, complete with an 'Enhanced Dialogue System'. Every five minutes, the Chaplain would remind his comrades that "the Codex Astartes does not support this action," and threaten to report them to the Inquisition.
The Chaplain also came with a special ability called Discipline, which would supposedly report any minor deviations from the Codex Astartes, granting a 5% discipline bonus but at the cost of a -20% brotherhood bonus.
The humor in this prank stems from the campaign in Space Marine 2, where Chaplain Quintus closely monitors protagonist Titus for any signs of heresy, despite Titus's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. Throughout the game, as Titus fights against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons, it becomes evident that there's something unique about him, which Quintus views with suspicion. Quintus is akin to an overzealous school prefect, always on the lookout for rule-breakers to report to the authorities.
The Chaplain has become a beloved meme within the Space Marine community, and the April Fool's Day joke cleverly played into this. Some fans expressed a genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain added to the game, not with the humorous skill set from the prank, but as a serious warrior-priest dedicated to the Emperor's worship.
“This would actually go hard if this was real,” commented ResidentDrama9739 on the Space Marine subreddit, sparking enthusiastic discussions about how the Chaplain could be integrated into the game.
Interestingly, Space Marine 2 is set to introduce a new class soon, though Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive have kept details under wraps. While many speculate it could be the Apothecary, akin to a medic, others hope for the Librarian, offering powerful warp-based abilities. The Chaplain's prominent role in the April Fool's gag has led some to wonder if it rules him out as the new class.
Despite the surprising news that development on Space Marine 3 has begun, Space Marine 2 continues to evolve. Its year one roadmap is in place, with Patch 7 scheduled for mid-April. In the coming months, players can look forward to the new class, additional PvE operations, and new melee weapons.
