April 1st has come and gone, marking another year of playful pranks in the video game industry. Among the memorable jests was the one pulled by the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which might linger in fans' minds a bit longer than others.
On April Fool's Day, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, announced a new Chaplain class supposedly coming as DLC. "In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine," they teased, undoubtedly with a chuckle.
This faux DLC promised a new playable character in the story mode, along with an 'Enhanced Dialogue System' where the Chaplain would remind everyone every five minutes that "the Codex Astartes does not support this action," and "I’m telling the Inquisition." The Chaplain's special ability, 'Discipline,' was said to report any deviations from the Codex Astartes, granting a 5% discipline bonus but a -20% brotherhood bonus.
The humor in this prank resonates well with Space Marine 2 players who experienced Chaplain Quintus' vigilant scrutiny over Titus throughout the campaign. As Titus fights against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons, Quintus watches for any signs of heresy, akin to an overzealous school prefect. This has made the Chaplain a meme within the Space Marine community, and the April Fool's joke capitalized on this.
Interestingly, some fans expressed genuine interest in having the Chaplain added to the game, not necessarily with the humorous abilities, but as a dedicated warrior-priest who upholds the Emperor's veneration. "This would actually go hard if this was real," commented ResidentDrama9739 on the Space Marine subreddit, sparking enthusiastic discussions about potential gameplay integration.
While the Chaplain's April Fool's appearance might rule him out as the next class, Space Marine 2 is indeed set to introduce a new class soon. Though Focus and developer Saber Interactive haven't revealed what it will be, speculation leans towards an Apothecary, akin to a medic, or possibly a Librarian with warp-powered abilities.
Amidst the excitement, Space Marine 2's development continues with a year one roadmap in place. Patch 7 is due mid-April, and the game will see new PvE operations and melee weapons in the coming months. Meanwhile, the unexpected announcement of Space Marine 3's development adds to the buzz surrounding the franchise.
