Assuming It’s Not a Prank, Marvel Rivals Will Showcase Venom’s Symbiote Dance for April Fools’ Day Next Week

As I sit down to pen this, it’s March 28, and I’m hoping to avoid a journalist’s sleepless night—a cruel 2AM clash between a Geoff Keighley showcase and a Nintendo Direct. Yet, amongst it all, NetEase has managed to keep me on edge.

In what appears to be their upcoming April Fools’ surprise, the company is introducing a Venom twerk emote to Marvel Rivals next week—assuming this isn’t an elaborate prank, of course. Can you blame me for writing with fingers tightly crossed?

This quirky addition, dubbed the Symbiote Boogie emote, is slated to be a reward in the game, available from 1 AM GMT/8 PM ET on April 1/March 31 until April 4 at 1 AM GMT/8 PM ET on April 3. The announcement hit the scene through both a tweet and a post on Marvel Rivals’ official Discord channel.

“With April Fools right around the corner, Rivals, the smoothest symbiote in the Multiverse is gearing up to celebrate,” the message from NetEase reads. “Believe it or not, complete Galacta’s Cosmic Adventure and snag all 24 rewards to unlock the Symbiote Boogie emote! Because nothing captures ‘cosmic chaos’ quite like your hero busting a slimy move on the battlefield.”

Their timing seems to indicate they mean business, given they’ve unveiled this before the morning of April 1 itself. Announcing something with an in-game release positioned awkwardly between time zones wouldn’t be a classic “gotcha” moment, right? Otherwise, we’d be left with the absurd prospect of jokingly unveiling an April Fools’ emote in September of the prior year, which, while ridiculous, might more than entertain.

Preview glimpses of this emote have shown Venom embracing his dance with gusto, his cheeks bearing a strong resemblance to robust licorice. Predictably, his iconic tongue is in full display as part of his natural charm. “Venom cake is massive now, Venom mains are definitely going to spam that emote as often as possible,” remarked one player from the Rivals Discord, and honestly, that about sums it up.

Are you anxiously hoping this Venom twerk emote isn’t just a cheeky prank? Share your thoughts with us below!