Dispatch explained: Why is this story adventure game so popular?
After the initial demise of Telltale Games in 2017 and the team bouncing around studios and publishers for the past few years, it appears they have finally returned to form with the new release of their superhero-themed interactive story game, Dispatch. With a combined release of Dispatch on consoles and PC, this game has seemingly boosted this dev team back to the level of magnetism it originally captured with releases such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us.
This game, however, marks a big change for the developers as it is its first game under the new company, formed with notable members of the original Telltale development team. As all of Dispatch’s episodes have been released, we feel it’s time to elaborate on this game’s assets in full. With that, let’s explore this game’s “origin story”, its star-studded cast, and what the future has in store for this game and the team behind it.
What is Dispatch?
It’s an interactive story game with the majority of Dispatch’s gameplay consisting mostly of making character-based decisions. These choices will go on to affect story points and character progression later on in the game, a formula these developers have truly perfected over the last decade. As with previous games by this team, these decisions are occasionally broken up by sections with quick-time events and mini-games. These portions do well to add a better sense of player immersion, as well as often serving as the source of the humour and characterisation.
Dispatch’s story follows “Robert Robertson”, a powerless superhero who is put out of commission early in Episode 1 and is hired as a dispatch operator by another superhero. The game follows his experience working as the dispatch operator, balancing this with the professional relationships he must maintain and the personal relationships that begin to form with the other heroes. The game relies mostly on these interactions to build stakes, as there is often no way to please every character. This results in the player having to make some tough and often biased decisions based on their personal experience.
Who developed Dispatch?
Dispatch is developed and published by AdHoc Studio. The studio was founded by developers who worked for Telltale Games. The game is the studio’s debut title and was announced at the 2024 Game Awards. However, the Dispatch game we received was very different from the initial stages, as it was originally supposed to be a live-action story game.
This was made unfeasible as the COVID-19 pandemic started soon after this idea was conceived. This meant the development team could focus on the sequel to its popular title, The Wolf Among Us 2 (confusingly set to be published by the new Telltale Games). However, most of what it had initially created before the pandemic was used in the final product of Dispatch. After its announcement at the Game Awards, a Dispatch demo for the game was released in May 2025, where it immediately received heaps of praise and positive reviews.
After this, the game’s popularity snowballed, as a partnership with Critical Role Productions meant that merchandise for the game was going to be created, along with a possible animated series based on the game universe in the works. This partnership also involved AdHoc becoming co-developers for a game set in the Critical Role universe.
Dispatch episodes and release schedule explained
Like many previous entries by these developers, the entire Dispatch story takes place over multiple chapters. These chapters have had staggered releases since the initial two episodes of the game. With eight episodes in total, releasing initially in October, the game has had two full episodes added weekly since the first two dropped.
This timeline is much tighter than previous games from these developers and is all included within the initial purchase of the game. The final two episodes have just been released, meaning that the game is now complete and ready to be played in full. For those interested in the world of the game, a deluxe edition of the game was also released.
It includes four issues of digital comics set in the universe of the game, as well as the “Art of Dispatch” digital art book. As it is fully released, Dispatch’s price for all episodes is a humble $29.99 (about £24.99 / €24.99).
Dispatch cast explained
Some big names in acting, as well as a few popular video game-based influencers, lend their voices to Dispatch’s game characters. Our main character and whom we follow throughout the course of the story, is played by Aaron Paul, best known for his role in Breaking Bad as secondary protagonist Jesse Pinkman.
His performance in this game lends an appropriate level of humanity to what is effectively a (relatively) normal person trying to make his way in a world of superpowered individuals. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that the supporting cast is really what gives this game its playability, as their lives are the ones you’re most affecting with your decisions. There are plenty of unique Dispatch characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, to make the game feel like you really are trying to manage a team of separate individuals, all of whom are played excellently by the great voice cast.
An aspect of this game not often talked about is the designs on display. While some are fairly overt references to other comic characters (take MoistCr1TiKal’s character Sonar, for instance, a literal bat-man), they are distinct enough to be recognisable as their own unique designs, especially since most of your time will be spent with these characters learning about them as people.
Will there be a Dispatch season 2 or a sequel?
At the time of writing, there is currently no confirmation of a Dispatch season 2 or a sequel. Unfortunately for fans of the game, they will likely have to wait until at least after the release of Adhoc’s Critical Role game and The Wolf Among Us 2 for any additional content to be released.
However, in a recent interview, co-founder of AdHoc Studio and writer of Dispatch, Pierre Shorette, said they would “have to think about” further gaming content in the Dispatch universe, giving fans of the game some hope to cling on to before any real announcement is made.
Until then, Dispatch stands as a second (or maybe even third) wind for this team, quickly gaining in popularity, likely only to increase over the foreseeable future as more content set in the game’s universe releases. For now, though, we’re sure players will be kept occupied by the immense amount of Dispatch’s choices, as they try and find the ending that best suits their desires for how they wish the story to unfold.
FAQs
Will Dispatch be on consoles?
The Dispatch developers have stated that although they are interested in releasing the game to Xbox and Nintendo consoles, they will initially focus on the PS5 and PC ports, so the release date for other versions is still unknown.
How many copies has Dispatch sold?
Dispatch sold a remarkable one million copies in just 10 days after its release, prior to every episode coming out, meaning it is likely to increase even further in the near future.
Is Dispatch free?
No, Dispatch is a paid game; however, unlike a few previous entries by this development team, the individual episodes come with the original product, so once you have purchased the game, everything is available to you.
How long does Dispatch take to beat?
A Dispatch episode should take around an hour to beat, maybe slightly less, so from start to finish, between six and eight hours. However, this game is fairly replayable as you can make different choices to progress the story in different directions.
References
Latest Gaming Articles
All Articles
