April 1st has come and gone, marking the end of another year's worth of video game industry April Fool's Day antics. Yet, the playful jest from the team behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is one that fans are likely to remember for a while.
On April 1st, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, cheekily 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," Focus announced, undoubtedly with a chuckle.
The faux DLC promised 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. Adding to the humor, the Chaplain's special ability, 'Discipline,' would instantly report any minor deviations from the Codex Astartes, granting a 5% discipline bonus but at the cost of a 20% brotherhood penalty.
The humor stems from the game's campaign where Chaplain Quintus scrutinizes protagonist Titus for any signs of heresy, despite Titus's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium and the Emperor. As players guide Titus through battles against the Tyranids and the Thousand Sons, Quintus's constant vigilance becomes a source of frustration, akin to a strict school prefect eager to report any misbehavior.
Within the Space Marine community, the Chaplain has evolved into a meme, and this April Fool's Day prank plays right into that. However, some fans have expressed a genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain as a playable character, perhaps as a dedicated warrior-priest who venerates the Emperor without the satirical abilities.
"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. While fans speculate, a new class is indeed on the horizon for Space Marine 2. Though the specifics remain undisclosed, many believe it might be the Apothecary, akin to a medic, or perhaps the Librarian, bringing warp-powered magic to the fray. Does the Chaplain's playful introduction in the April Fool's prank rule him out?
Despite the unexpected announcement of Space Marine 3's development, Space Marine 2 continues to expand. The year one roadmap is in place, with Patch 7 slated for a mid-April release. In the coming months, players can look forward to the new class, additional PvE operations, and new melee weapons.
