"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 jest from the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 might linger a bit longer in our memories.

On April 1, Focus Entertainment, the publisher of Space Marine 2, playfully announced a new Chaplain class as DLC. "In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine," they stated, surely stifling laughter behind their screens.

This mock 'DLC' was said to introduce a new playable character to 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's special ability, 'Discipline', supposedly allowed him to report any deviation from the Codex Astartes, granting a 5% discipline bonus but at the cost of a 20% brotherhood penalty.

The humor in this prank stems from Chaplain Quintus's role in Space Marine 2's campaign, where he scrutinizes Titus for any hint of heresy, despite the protagonist's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. As Titus fights against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons, it becomes evident that he possesses something unique, which Quintus views with suspicion. It's akin to a strict school prefect who's quick to report any misbehavior to the headmaster—making the Chaplain a figure of both disdain and amusement within the Space Marine community.

This April Fool's gag taps into the Chaplain's meme status among fans, some of whom expressed genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain added to the game—not with the satirical abilities, but as a dedicated warrior-priest emphasizing the veneration of the Emperor. On the Space Marine subreddit, ResidentDrama9739 remarked, "This would actually go hard if this was real," sparking enthusiastic discussions about how the Chaplain could be integrated into the game.

While Space Marine 2 is set to introduce a new class soon, with speculation leaning towards an Apothecary or a Librarian, the Chaplain's starring role in the April Fool's Day prank has fans wondering if he's been ruled out.

Despite the unexpected announcement of Space Marine 3's development, Space Marine 2's year one roadmap continues, with Patch 7 scheduled for mid-April. Alongside this, the game will receive a new class, PvE operations, and new melee weapons in the coming months, keeping the community engaged and eager for what's next.