Saturday was 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 24 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.
Art by Sam Woolley
(If you’d like a recap, here’s 2016’s collection.)
Our Consumer Business Analysis and RNG Divisions are thrilled to announce a new, unique and exclusively limited figure of Geralt! pic.twitter.com/FLTTwO1RHc
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) April 1, 2017
The Witcher 3
Why would they toy with us like that?
Final Fantasy 14
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 14/Tactics Ogre mashup too pure for this world.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/ywhter75wfqrb1u330ty.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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 2 and the EX spin-offs is working on a completely new fighting game April Fools’ joke.
From Superpower Pokémon to Pokémon Supermodel! Machamp is set to star in a brand-new campaign for Spring 2017! #MaChamps pic.twitter.com/vA9i0A2DQB
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) April 1, 2017
Pokemon
Games have been getting hornier, so it’s only natural the April Fools’ jokes do too.
Hello children! Another Doyle Discovery! The Professor has datamined a new card that was missed from yesterday’s reveal! pic.twitter.com/z5chjeBbRX
— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) April 1, 2017
Hearthstone
Blizzard pokes some fun at its the latest game mechanic to be added via the upcoming Journey To Un’Goro expansion.
SNEAK PEEK: The Future of Clan Battles pic.twitter.com/qlv1HMdHoK
— Clash Royale (@ClashRoyale) April 1, 2017
Clash Royale
Supercell teased the future of its mobile esport and, much like our own, it looks grim.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/uxq21crno9tbd7rpmvp1.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
VA-11 Hall-A
Everyone’s favourite 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. OK. Yea.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/lxny6rhzeai7z0e0ugco.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Nintendo
Continuing the trend of showing off 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.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/bm4lwmmjuxfmmh44nkdn.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/epoetsddarxfzocyadkl.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/i4pqadk0unlj1zm0zkb1.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Final Fantasy 15
Wouldn’t it be great if Kenny finally got the love he deserved?
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/jx520oycx7xer6z0btcr.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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 specialises in anticipating all your gamer needs. Equal parts adorable and way too real.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/qhr1ktkpneifglwpzcle.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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.
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/wuwxpjrr6ind3xeaewhx.jpg?quality=75?quality=75)
Turtle Beach
The F-Bag is some must-have swag for any serious gamer. It even comes in a special “cave dweller” size…
BarcadeVG
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/xpdoxnlarqzlrvgwulwu.png?quality=75?quality=75)
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 15 minute video is probably as close as we will ever get to this incredibly reasonable thing actually happening.
And now, THE WORST!
![The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/02/ywdtfn1vudaslwqlutur.png?quality=75?quality=75)
Marvellous
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.
Comments
4 responses to “The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Day Jokes For 2017”
I want a Razer S.A.i.S.O… because I’m lonely 🙁
Surprised that they used Tactics Ogre system and graphics for the FFXIV video instead of FFT’s.
Blizzard posted a nice one on the WoW forums. Basically fake patch notes poking at all the common gripes people have.
I liked it because it shows how much attention they do pay to the community and the feedback even if they don’t often respond to it.
Rick and Morty is probably the ultimate troll. Tell People the new season is here, release a one off episode (in line with the prediction at the end of the last season). Then let them figure out for themselves when it was actually released.