April Fools’ Day 2021 saw some great video game-related jokes and pranks, ranging from a fruity Deathloop cereal to a fake Control PS1 demake.
April Fools’ Day is both a beloved and a dreaded holiday. It inevitably results in some really awful jokes, but a few great ones are remembered for years to come. The creativity and laid-back energy of the gaming industry has allowed for some truly fun April Fool’s Day pranks over the years.
2020 gave gamers some memorable April Fools pranks, such as IGN’s “exclusive reveal” of the first look a supposed AMC Grand Theft Auto TV series. The apparent authenticity of the advert was enhanced by the fact that IGN was able to get Steven Ogg, voice of Trevor Phillips in Grand Theft Auto 5, to voice the fake commercial. Even though it wasn’t real and likely never will be, the idea actually got some fans craving a live-action adaptation of Rockstar’s open-world crime epic.
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April Fools’ Day 2021 brought some new layers to the holiday, such as a very meta joke about the new reality of mid-pandemic life and a joke-but-real in-game item. Without further ado, here are the best video game April Fools pranks of 2021.
Deathloop Gets Fruit Loops Parody Cereal For April Fools
Arkane’s newest game, Deathloop, is just a few months away from releasing. To help it stand out more, the official Deathloop Twitter account revealed a fake cereal for April Fools’ Day. It’s essentially Fruit Loops, but it’s two rings that form an infinity symbol to represent the time loop concept within the game. It’s a shame it’s not real, because the cereal actually looks pretty tasty.
Zoom Adds Battle Royale Feature In IGN’s April Fools Prank
Zoom has become one of the most vital pieces of technology in the last year. Despite already being prevalent in many businesses, its use exploded to allow for working from home and online schooling. For IGN’s annual April Fools prank, the outlet combined the popularity of both Zoom and battle royale games like Warzone into Zoom Royale. A fake trailer for the app showcases players getting eliminated from calls for having their mics muted while trying to speak, accidentally interrupting others due to delays, and accidental nudity.
Fortnite Adds A (Real) Stonks Meme Skin For April Fools’ Day
Although many normally write it off as boring or confusing, the average person’s awareness of the stock market has been drastically increased in recent months, thanks to the GameStop stock saga. The sudden boom in riches for non-Wall Street-types also saw a surge in memes like “Diamond Hands” and the always wonderful “stonks” meme. Epic Games decided to make the stonks guy a Fortnite skin for April Fools, but the in-game item is actually real. Rather than being just a joke, players can actually obtain the odd-looking, suit and tie-wearing Wall Street character known as “Diamond Hanz” for 1,200 V-Bucks.
The skin is littered with references to the GameStop stock drama and WallStreetBets verbiage. It’s also one of the most interesting April Fools schemes this year, as it’s not some faked image or edited video; it’s something players can actually purchase and use.
Control Developer Reveals PlayStation 1 Port For April Fools
Despite releasing two years ago, Remedy’s Control has remained on the mind of its players, thanks to its compelling gameplay and unique world. Remedy poked fun at that legacy by announcing a PS1 demake of Control for April Fools’ Day. The clever prank included a trailer for a 1996 version of Control with PS1-like graphics, though the mock-up still has a lot of the same smoothness in its gameplay. The video was so well-done that some are wondering if a small sliver of Control‘s PS1 demake actually exists in a playable state, or if it’s just the magic of video editing. Perhaps if there’s enough demand, Remedy could release a small piece of new content in this style as a free download.
Razer Announces New RGB Hair Dye For April Fools’ Day
Gaming computer parts manufacturer Razer leaned into the trend of PC gamers owning rainbow colored keyboards, announcing on April Fool’s Day a new hair dye that would give users hair that changes colors like one of those fancy keyboards. Although it’s not real, the company released an Instagram filter that lets people see how it would look on them. Razer also announced a giveaway for a bunch of RGB hardware to sweeten the deal.
Glow up with the new Razer Rapunzel Chroma Hair Dye. Razer Rapunzel is the world’s first RGB haircare product that delivers full-spectrum, and customizable per-hair lighting. Turn heads on the streets, and take lighting immersion to the next level. https://t.co/GNF9B9uxYK pic.twitter.com/ju6AhsSy05
— R Λ Z Ξ R (@Razer) March 31, 2021
