Dispatch Developers Apologize for Hidden Censorship Disclaimer on Switch
The team at AdHoc Studio has commented on the controversy surrounding the Nintendo Switch version of Dispatch and admitted to a mistake in how information about censorship was presented. The developers insist they were not trying to hide the content changes but acknowledge that the warning about them was placed in "the most unfortunate spot" on the Nintendo eShop page.
Recently, Dispatch was released on Nintendo consoles. Soon after, players noticed that the Switch version has built-in censorship by default. The game obscures explicit scenes with black rectangles and mutes sexual sounds. Meanwhile, a completely unedited version is available on other platforms. AdHoc emphasizes that the edits did not affect gameplay or story. Nintendo, for its part, reminded that all games on its platforms must comply with internal rules and undergo a rating assessment.
In a new statement, the developers explained why they remained silent for so long. The team wanted to properly structure a dialogue with Nintendo and not worsen the situation. The studio stated outright: the game did not meet the platform's content requirements, so a release without changes was impossible.
AdHoc admitted they initially hoped for a different outcome. The developers expected Dispatch to be allowed an uncensored release, considering the presence of projects like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch. During the porting process, it became clear this wouldn't work. The studio then insisted on adding a disclaimer in the store to warn buyers in advance about the differences between versions.
We specifically wanted to warn buyers as explicitly as possible that the game's content had been censored. But due to confusion, we placed the warning in a field literally called "Disclaimer," not in the "About the Game" section. We only noticed this after release when we saw comments saying the changes should have been indicated on the store page and went to check. Formally, the disclaimer was there all along—just in the most unfortunate place, which could make it seem like we were trying to hide it.
AdHoc Studio
After launch, the studio promptly corrected the situation in the American eShop—the team made the warning more noticeable and added it before purchase. In other regions, the changes have already been published or are undergoing review.
The developers also reported they are discussing possible next steps with Nintendo. There are no specific promises yet, but the team hopes to release an update that will partially soften the censorship. However, it will take several weeks to wait due to the standard certification procedure.
Despite the scandal, Dispatch is showing excellent results. The game's sales have already exceeded 3 million copies. Against the backdrop of such success, the team is considering a second season—and judging by the overwhelmingly positive audience reaction, it may be even bolder and more explicit than the first.