"Space Marine 2 Devs' April Fool's Joke Sparks Fan Excitement"

April 1 has come and gone, marking another year of playful antics from the video game industry, and the team behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 certainly left a memorable impression with their April Fool's Day gag. Yesterday, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, humorously announced the release of a new Chaplain class as DLC on April 1.

"In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine," Focus declared, likely with a cheeky grin. The faux DLC supposedly introduced a new playable character in the story mode, complete with an 'Enhanced Dialogue System'. This system would have the Chaplain remind everyone every five minutes that "the Codex Astartes does not support this action," and "I’m telling the Inquisition."

The Chaplain was also humorously equipped with a special ability called Discipline, which would involve instantly reporting "any and all minor deviations from the Codex Astartes" for a 5% discipline bonus, albeit at the cost of a 20% brotherhood penalty.

The humor in this April Fool's prank stems from the fact that fans of Space Marine 2's campaign are familiar with Chaplain Quintus, who scrutinizes protagonist Titus with a suspicious eye for any signs of heresy, despite Titus's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. Throughout the campaign, as Titus fights against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons, it becomes evident that there is something unique about him, which Quintus finds deeply unsettling. Quintus is akin to an overzealous school prefect, always on the lookout for the slightest deviation to report to the authorities.

Within the Space Marine community, the Chaplain has become a meme, and the April Fool's Day joke cleverly played into this. Some fans have expressed a genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain added to the game, not necessarily with the jokingly proposed abilities, but as a dedicated warrior-priest who champions the veneration of the Emperor.

"This would actually go hard if this was real," remarked ResidentDrama9739 on the Space Marine subreddit, amidst a flurry of excited discussions about how the Chaplain could enhance the game.

Meanwhile, Space Marine 2 is indeed set to introduce a new class soon, although Focus and developer Saber Interactive have kept details under wraps. Speculation among fans points towards the Apothecary, a class akin to a medic for Space Marines, or perhaps the Librarian, offering thrilling warp-powered abilities. The Chaplain's spotlight in the April Fool's Day prank might make fans wonder if he's still in the running.

Despite the unexpected announcement of Space Marine 3's development, Space Marine 2's roadmap for the year remains robust. Patch 7 is scheduled for mid-April, and the game will also see the addition of the new class, new PvE operations, and new melee weapons in the coming months.