2024's best April Fools' Day jokes includes Sonic, Cyberpunk, Elden Ring

Another April 1st has come and gone, and with it a glut of April Fools Day jokes, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Some were so perfectly curated, it took me a second or two to check myself and say 'Ah, damn, it is 1st April!'. Alas, it seems I will never get my hands on an Alan Wake Tamagochi-style pet I can feed copious amounts of coffee to.

Others I wanted to be true so badly, I actually feel a tad (a lot) deflated by the revelation they were just a ruse. Looking at you, Tunic on Netflix! With that crushing disappointment behind me, here are the best of the rest video games-related April Fools' Day jokes for 2024.

First up, a new Street Fighter challenger was announced to be entering the fray in the form of, errm, Pom-Pom from Honkai: Star Rail.

Yes, the rather adorable, bright-eyed driver of the Astral Express was teased as a new combatant for the Street Fighter series yesterday, with miHoYo stating he is “fueled by boundless energy and a fiery spirit.”

Sonic studio Sega, meanwhile, celebrated a new month by introducing a new way for players to get their hands on content. Move over DLC, as 1st April is all about CLC, or to give it its full name Cartridge Loadable Content.

Fancy a shot? All you had to do is head over to your local Blockbuster circa 1991 to use this new CLC feature, which launches with Big Head Mode and Sonic the Hedge cartridges to “'enhance' your Sonic the Hedgehog experience.”

Indie video game publisher Devolver Digital decided it needed to branch out. And how did it plan to do this? Well, not with film or music but rather with… reality TV. Sharing an important update with its community yesterday, Devolver stated the idea came to the team like a “bolt of lightning”.

The publisher promised plenty of beautiful people and glamorous settings when it makes its way into the Reality TV market. Oh, and of course, “explosive drama, clashing egos, crushed dreams” and “unquenchable thirst.”

This year's surprise hit Palworld came over all flirty, with a dating sim joke. Developer Pocketpair even teased an adult-only version, because the idea of ​​romancing Pals is not at all creepy.

“Will you remain friends or fall in love? Or dismantle and eat them…”

Some very important questions, there.

If that has left you feeling a bit dirty, then this one will make you feel even more in need of a clean up.

The ever-joyous hose 'em up and Eurogamer favorite Powerwash Simulator teased a new mode yesterday. And, rather than making everything sparkle and shine like new, it proudly declared players will be able to make everything as filthy as possible. It even redubbed itself PowerDirt Simulator for the occasion.

The expression 'You snooze, you lose' has never been less true, as yesterday the Pokémon Sleep Tournament was announced.

Contestants could snuggle down with their fluffiest duvets, squishiest pillows and plushiest (not sure that is a word) plushies to get the best Zzzz's. Just don't fall off the bed.

Welcome to the Pokémon Sleep World Champions Tournament! 🥱🏆

Continuing on with its comeback, and following on from last year's Ultimate Edition, CD Projekt Red announced that Cyberpunk 2077 players would soon be able to get their hands on a floppy disk edition of the game. The developer even shared a link to the sales page and everything.

But, for the second time today, I say 'Alas'. If you click on this link (as I did), you will be met with a message imploring all hopeful samurais to wake up. “The story of CD Projekt began with distributing games on CDs. Although that's where our roots lie, we're committed to looking to the future,” the developer explained.

While I never actually fell for this next one, it did make me do a double take. Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games apparently has a passion for both Pixels and… skin care.

This passion led the team to create D by YachtTM (Club Games), which the studio describes as its “unique spin on over-the-counter (and from the ground) skincare.”

This one may be one of my favorites. Bandai Namco clearly knows we are all champing at the bit for Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, so yesterday it released a new look at what's in store. Except, it didn't.

Rather, the publisher shared a short video showing the words 'Elden Ring Expansion' simply expanding. I mean, well played, I guess.

Among Us actually released an April Fools' update, playable for the next week, giving everyone a very long neck. After all, a person with no head or neck is not capable (thank you, thank you).

This update can be enjoyed until 8th April and includes a new kill animation.

Last but by no means least, Dead By Daylight. If you are looking for the chance to be stepped on, for whatever reason, now is your time.

The team at developer Behavior introduced a new limited-time mode where players can get stepped on by a Kaiju-sized Oni. If this sounds like something you want to experience, you better hop to it, as this mode is only available until tomorrow, 3rd April.

And that's all from me, at least for this year. Have you seen any other April Fools' Day jokes? And, more importantly, did you fall for them?