If It’s Not a Prank, Marvel Rivals to Feature Venom’s Wobbly Symbiussy for April Fools’ Day Next Week

It’s the end of March, and as I pen this down, I can’t help but wonder if I’m about to fall into the dreaded trap of any news writer. The threat of a one-two punch with a late-night Geoff Keighley event competing against a Nintendo Direct is always looming, but still, it’s NetEase that’s got my anxiety levels up today.

Why, you ask? Well, they’ve just dropped a bombshell—provided they’re not pulling our leg, which seems pretty serious—to celebrate April Fools’ Day: they’re introducing a Venom twerk emote to Marvel Rivals next week. Yep, you heard that right, and yes, I’m crossing my fingers as I type this.

This playful “Symbiote Boogie” emote is scheduled to be available—again, if this isn’t a prank—as an in-game reward. You can snag it from 1 AM GMT on April 1 until 1 AM GMT on April 4. For those in ET, that’s 8 PM on March 31 to 8 PM on April 3. Announcements about the emote were made on both Twitter and Marvel Rivals’ Discord server.

NetEase jazzed it up with an enticing tagline: “April Fools is just around the corner, Rivals—and the smoothest symbiote in the Multiverse is ready to celebrate. That’s right, it’s not a joke—complete Galacta’s Cosmic Adventure and collect all 24 rewards to unlock the Symbiote Boogie emote! Because nothing says ‘cosmic chaos’ like watching your hero bust a slimy move on the battlefield.”

Now, let’s put this into perspective. This was announced way before April 1, which makes flipping it into a joke even tricker. I mean, you wouldn’t announce something worldwide just to pull the rug out at the very last second, right? That would seriously push the limits–though it might be a hilarious mischief.

At this point, we’ve gotten a good look at what this emote entails, and Venom seems to be having quite the time, with his cheeks looking surprisingly like thicc licorice as he grooves away. His signature tongue is out, which isn’t much of a surprise. As one Rivals Discord participant aptly put it, “Venom cake is huge now, Venom mains gonna spam that emote every chance they get.” That comment pretty much nails it.

So, what do you think about this unexpected Venom twerk emote? Are you hoping it sticks around and isn’t a prank? Share your thoughts with us below!