It’s April 1, also commonly known as April Fools’ Day, and that means pulling some pranks and making jokes. Game studios are also keen on joining in on the occasion, with many companies making fake April Fools’ announcements or posts.
Here’s a small compilation of what game studios have been up to this April 1:
Ready your squad and jump straight into the Ishimura on April 1st! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IBYeGlml80
— Battlefield (@Battlefield) April 1, 2023
Battlefield 2042 – Ishimura Edition
This fake announcement made by the official Battlefield Twitter page made players believe that the game would be getting an official collaboration with the recently released Dead Space remake. The tweet implied that players would be able to explore the USG Ishimura in-game.
Dead Island 2 – Meet the Slayers: Flambo
Dead Island 2, the upcoming zombie-slaying game by Dambuster Studios, features a cast of varied Slayers, each with their own unique abilities. This fake Slayers reveal video highlighted one of the pool floaties that you could find in-game, a flamingo-shaped pool float that apparently hates frat parties and influencers.
Something weird is going on in blind pick mode starting at midnight… pic.twitter.com/1DMe57qGA3
— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) March 30, 2023
League of Legends – April Fools’ Update
League of Legends celebrates April Fools’ Day regularly, though this year they’ve seemed to up the antics a bit with a set of hats for players to collect throughout the game. This, accompanied by other shenanigans occurring throughout the Rift, was set to terrorize players from April 1 to April 2 local time.
Sniper Elite 5 – Gnome Way Home
Sniper Elite 5’s Gnome Way Home trailer looks pretty convincing for an April Fools’ joke, and while the trailer itself doesn’t really confirm that it’s a fake announcement, it’s hard to believe that gnomes will take a more active role in gameplay other than being shootable in-game statues.
Valorant – Cypher’s Revenge Game Mode
Valorant also made a fun announcement video that referenced a popular running joke in the community. Named “Cypher’s Revenge,” this new game mode would have players fight the one and only Moroccan spy. Cypher is often memed for being the one Agent that dies in many of Riot Games’ cinematics and trailers, and Cypher’s Revenge was meant to be a form of retaliation against this sort of treatment. While Cypher’s Revenge isn’t a real game mode, players can pick up the “Here I Am” spray for free by logging in before April 8.
As the fake announcements were made in good fun, it’s nice to see studios engage in less serious activities with their audiences, especially during occasions such as April Fools’ Day.