April 1st has come and gone, marking another year of video game industry pranks, but the April Fool's gag from the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is one that will linger in fans' memories. On April 1st, Focus Entertainment, the publisher behind Space Marine 2, announced a humorous new Chaplain class as downloadable content (DLC).
"In story mode, swap out Titus for The Chaplain and experience the game as a true Codex-compliant Ultramarine," Focus Entertainment cheekily declared. This mock 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 "I’m telling the Inquisition."
The Chaplain's unique ability, dubbed 'Discipline', humorously involved instantly reporting any deviations 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 the in-game dynamic between Chaplain Quintus and protagonist Titus in Space Marine 2's campaign. Throughout the game, Quintus scrutinizes Titus for any signs of heresy, despite Titus's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. Quintus's constant vigilance is reminiscent of an overzealous school prefect, making him a somewhat infamous figure among players.
The Chaplain has become a meme within the Space Marine community, a fact that the April Fool's joke cleverly capitalized on. Interestingly, some fans expressed genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain added to the game, not with the satirical 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 how the Chaplain could be integrated into the game.
While the Chaplain's April Fool's appearance was a jest, Space Marine 2 is indeed set to introduce a new class soon. Although Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive have kept details under wraps, speculation among fans leans towards the Apothecary, a class akin to a medic, or the Librarian, which would bring warp-powered space magic into play. The Chaplain's humorous spotlight might not rule him out entirely from future updates.
Despite the unexpected announcement of Space Marine 3's development, Space Marine 2's roadmap for the first year remains intact. Patch 7 is slated for a mid-April release, and the game will see the addition of the new class, new PvE operations, and new melee weapons in the coming months.
