April Fools 2018: All The Best Game Updates And Pranks (VIDEO)
The day of endless pranks and practical jokes is upon us and the well-humored gaming community has shown no restraint in providing an avalanche of hilarious content for April Fools 2018. Big and small developers alike have been chiming in with a bit of light trolling, many of which have embraced the holiday spirit to an impressive degree. Check out our favorite game updates and pranks from April Fools 2018 below.
‘Battle Royale’ Modes
One of the most popular trends in all of gaming at the moment is the battle royale genre, with games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite paving the way for the competitive experience to hit the mainstream. It should be no surprise that the never-ending rise of battle royale made for perfect fodder for April Fool’s Day, with numerous games presenting their own versions of the mode.
Some announced variants like World of Warcraft‘s “Fort Knight” mode and Black Mesa‘s “Last Freeman Standing” are obviously fake in their apparent ridiculousness, but a very intriguing Halo version is admittedly difficult to not completely freak out about. Taking the joke to a amazing level is Path of Exile and World of Tanks, both of whom have debuted actual, playable battle royale modes for April Fools 2018.
April Fools’ Updates
Other developers brought out the hilarity in their own games, updating titles with features as bizarre as they are genius. League of Legends‘ punny April “Foods” Day update introduced various new skins based around fast food, Pokémon Go downgraded to 8-bit graphics, Rocket League “embiggened” its cosmetics, and digital marketplace Uplay implemented a mysterious admin console for fans to figure out. Even Google Maps, while not a game, was turned into one with a new Where’s Waldo? update.
What’s in the cards for ESO? Cards are in the cards for #ESO!
Coming soon: all combat abilities will be replaced with @TESLegends cards and deck that you build and customize. No ETA. 😉 pic.twitter.com/yg1tE7bRlK
— The Elder Scrolls Online (@TESOnline) April 1, 2018
Not all supposed updates were on the level as some figured to use the opportunity to put a funnier spin on their games for April Fools 2018. The Elder Scrolls Online falsely adopted a card combat system, Smite unleashed a “good boy” version of Fenrir, and World of Warcraft announced new Micro-Holiday events, including one that lasts a mere ten seconds.
Fake Announcements
This year also gave us a number of various faux announcements that we probably shouldn’t get excited about. Final Fantasy XIV Online GO, a parody of Pokemon Go, introduced an AR incarnation of the original, Let It Die spin-off “Let It Date“ looks to land a senpai for Death, and the pixelated Mummy Demastered game gets a baffling remastered treatment. Project Eevee is also attempting to get the cute pocket monster into the Tekken 7 roster, but it seems the critter has already had better luck in joining the ranks of New Japan Pro Wrestling.
https://twitter.com/LETITDIETheGame/status/979769009175449600
Developers had plenty to joke about themselves as well, with CD Projekt RED looking for a new “Designer of Game Environments,” or D.O.G.E., to “shake paws with,” Remedy Entertainment announcing their new coffee focus, and a look at Overkill Software’s incredible 80s-style PayDay animated series.
Funny Products
As with every year, nerd gear producer ThinkGeek hosted a number of hilarious products on its website for April Fools 2018. While unfortunately not available for purchase, goodies such as an Alien facehugger snorkel, a modern bluetooth-enabled Pet Rock, and a radio-controlled Fortnite battle bus were especially great to see.
ThinkGeek weren’t the only ones to advertise products for the purpose of pranks. Tech maker Razer seemingly branched out from the hardware space to offer a brain-booster called “Project Venom V2,” PlatinumGames put out a collection of figures depicting CEO Kenichi Sato in various poses, and Vive announced a Pet Edition of their premium VR headset. Adding to the overall ridiculous fun was the reveal of a PlayStation board game that aimed to elaborately adapt the Sony console experience into tabletop form.
Going all-in with bizarre merchandise were Far Cry 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn, where Far Cry unveiled a gun-shaped squeaky toy for players’ special doggo, and ‘Horizon‘ teasing fans with a full-body pillow of the enigmatic character Nil. And no, they aren’t available to buy. I, uh, checked.
Fans might be bummed to see many of these funny products and game updates go away after the festivities end, but it’s likely for the best we don’t live in a reality where ten-second WoW events and Remedy Coffee Entertainment exists, even if Eevee would be New Japan’s best champion ever.
What do you think? Are you dying with laughter over April Fools 2018, or have previous years been better? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more humorous stories from the news check out these next few links:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
