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

April 1 has come and gone, and with it, the video game industry's annual tradition of April Fool's Day pranks. Yet, the playful jest from the team behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 might linger in fans' memories a bit longer. Yesterday, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, announced a new Chaplain class as DLC, supposedly available on April 1.

“In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine,” Focus cheekily declared. This faux DLC promised a new playable character for the story mode, along with an ‘Enhanced Dialogue System’ where the Chaplain would remind his comrades every five minutes that “the Codex Astartes does not support this action,” and “I’m telling the Inquisition.”

The Chaplain also boasted a unique ability called Discipline, which would report "any and all minor deviations from the Codex Astartes" for a 5% discipline bonus but at the cost of a -20% brotherhood bonus.

The humor of this April Fool's prank resonates because anyone who's played through Space Marine 2's campaign knows Chaplain Quintus. He scrutinizes Captain Titus with a hawk-like suspicion for any hint of heresy, despite Titus' unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. As Titus fights against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons traitor legion, it's clear there's something special about him, which Chaplain Quintus distrusts intensely. It's akin to having an overzealous school prefect patrolling for the slightest misstep, ready to report you to the headmaster. The Chaplain's role has become a meme within the Space Marine community, and this April Fool's Day gag cleverly taps into that sentiment.

While the Chaplain's mock abilities were humorous, some fans expressed genuine interest in seeing him as a playable character in the game. Not with the exact skill set from the prank, but as a warrior-priest who constantly venerates the Emperor. "This would actually go hard if this was real," remarked ResidentDrama9739 on the Space Marine subreddit, sparking enthusiastic discussions about how the Chaplain might fit into the game.

Despite the jest, Space Marine 2 is indeed set to introduce a new class soon, though Focus and developer Saber Interactive have kept the details under wraps. Speculation among fans points towards an Apothecary, the closest Space Marines have to a medic class, while others hope for a Librarian, bringing warp-powered space magic into play. The Chaplain's starring role in the April Fool's Day joke has not ruled him out of future possibilities.

Space Marine 2 continues to evolve with a year one roadmap in place, and 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, amidst the surprising news that development on Space Marine 3 has already begun.