April 1 has come and gone, marking the end of another year of video game industry pranks. Yet, the April Fool's gag from the team behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 may linger in fans' minds a bit longer.

On April 1, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, jokingly announced the release of 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 declared, undoubtedly with a chuckle.

This faux DLC supposedly introduced the Chaplain as a playable character in the story mode, along 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, dubbed 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 fact that in Space Marine 2's campaign, Chaplain Quintus scrutinizes protagonist Titus with a suspicious eye, constantly on the lookout for signs of heresy despite Titus's unwavering loyalty to the Imperium, the Ultramarines, and the Emperor. As Titus fights against the Tyranids and the traitorous Thousand Sons, Quintus's vigilance becomes almost comical, akin to an overzealous school prefect eager to report any misbehavior.

The Chaplain has become a meme within the Space Marine community, and this April Fool's joke cleverly taps into that. Some fans have expressed a genuine interest in seeing the Chaplain added to the game, perhaps as a warrior-priest who emphasizes the Emperor's veneration 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 fit into the game.

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. Although Focus and developer Saber Interactive have kept the details under wraps, speculation is rife. Many believe it might be the Apothecary, the closest thing Space Marines have to a medic class, though some hope for the Librarian and its warp-powered space magic.

Despite the surprising announcement of Space Marine 3 development, Space Marine 2 remains busy. The year one roadmap is in place, with Patch 7 scheduled for mid-April. In the coming months, fans can look forward to the new class, as well as new PvE operations and melee weapons.