Today is April 1. Every year we forget it exists, until March comes to an end and every brand on the planet prepares to remind you for twenty four hours straight just how difficult it is to be truly funny. Here’s a roundup of the mostly best (and worst) April Fool’s gags for 2017.
(If you’d like a recap, here’s 2016's collection.)
The Witcher 3
Why would they toy with us like that?
Final Fantasy XIV
Cribbed straight from an alternate reality where the Japanese publisher never turned its back on the tactics genre, Square Enix invites us all to salivate over a Final Fantasy XIV/Tactics Ogre mashup too pure for this world.
Let It Die
Before it was Let It Die, it was Lily Bergamo. For a limited time you can totally get a decal celebrating a collaboration between the two, definitely not the same projects.
Arika
The beloved developer of Street Fighter II and the EX spin-offs is working on a completely new fighting game April Fools’ joke.
Pokémon
Games have been getting hornier, so it’s only natural the April Fools’ jokes do too.
Hearthstone
Blizzard pokes some fun at its the latest game mechanic to be added via the upcoming Journey To Un’Goro expansion.
Clash Royale
Supercell teased the future of its mobile esport and much like our own it looks grim.
VA-11 Hall-A
Everyone’s favorite cyberpunk viking space bar simulator is headed to the Nintendo Switch!
Nvidia
The graphics card manufacturer looks to the future with the G-Assist, a thumb drive that will install an AI to play your games for you. This is supposed to be a joke but feels more like a pilot for season four of Black Mirror.
Yooka-Laylee
“A lizard and a bat, what’s up with that?” Sure. Okay. Yea.
Bound
The developer of the dancing platformer Bound takes aim at the god of war.
Nintendo
Continuing the trend of showing of shit that actually looks pretty cool but won’t ever get made, here’s Crazy Galaxy, a super fun looking mini game compilation staring Ashley of WarioWare fame.
Blizzard Entertainment
A choose-your-own adventure guide to BlizzCon 2017 that can only end in tragedy.
Hitman
The latest game is getting a fashion mode.
Sega
The company is still running with its 8-bit Bayonetta joke, many years later, now with another steam page and full blown gameplay trailer.
Final Fantasy XV
Wouldn’t it be great if Kenny finally got the love he deserved?
Hyperkin
Last year it was the TurboHD, this year it’s the RetronJR. I guess the joke is that most of us would totally buy another grey plastic brick that plays old Nintendo games.
Razer
S.A.i.S.O. is a personal AI assistant that specializes in anticipating all your gamer needs. Equal parts adorable and way too real.
Psyonix
It turns out the Rocket League tie-in with the new Fast and Furious movie is in fact real. The actual joke is the game’s new ranking system.
Turtle Beach
The F-Bag is some must-have swag for any serious gamer. It even comes in a special “cave dweller” size...
BarcadeVG
In a cruel but very necessary April Fools’ gag, the BarcadeVG YouTube group put together a very convincing sizzle real for a Wii U virtual console on the Nintendo Switch, because this fifteen minute is probably as close as we will ever get to this incredibly reasonable thing actually happening.
And now, THE WORST!
Marvelous
The makers of Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash are adding a new character: Asuka’s grandmother. Why do we celebrate this holiday again?
I was going to spare you all the pain and not include it but by popular request here it is: Google’s several thousand dollar attempt at a pun. How many hungry mouths could the company’s April Fools’ department feed I wonder.