AdHoc Studio issued a public apology after players discovered Dispatch launched on Nintendo Switch with modified mature content and a disclaimer so subtle it looked like the studio was trying to hide the changes.
The game hit Switch with altered content compared to its PC and PlayStation versions. Black bars covered nudity, certain gestures got blocked out, and the changes weren’t immediately obvious to buyers scrolling through the eShop page.
AdHoc explained they initially assumed the game would be fine on Switch since titles like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 exist on the platform with uncensored mature content in many regions. That assumption turned out wrong.
During the porting process, AdHoc learned Nintendo wouldn’t allow the same content for Dispatch. The studio made changes to comply with Nintendo’s platform guidelines and asked to include a disclaimer on the eShop page.
The problem? That disclaimer ended up buried deep in the product description where most buyers wouldn’t spot it before purchasing. Some players had already preordered the game expecting parity with other platform versions.
“We recognize how that looks and we’re sorry,” AdHoc said in their statement to Eurogamer, acknowledging it appeared they were trying to hide the censorship. The studio said they’ve learned lessons from the situation.
The big question players keep asking is why Dispatch couldn’t ship uncensored globally when other mature games manage it. The answer likely comes down to regional version handling.
Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 typically ship different builds for different regions. Japan often gets a more censored version due to CERO rating requirements, while Western territories get less-restricted versions. Dispatch appears to have launched with a single Switch build worldwide rather than separate regional SKUs.
On PlayStation five, Dispatch reportedly has a Japan-censored version and a global uncensored version, making the Switch’s single-version approach stand out even more.
Nintendo’s standard position is that they require games to meet platform guidelines and inform developers when content doesn’t comply, but they don’t make changes to partner content themselves. The actual editing falls to the developer.
Hope on the horizon
AdHoc says they’re already working with Nintendo on a “path forward” to address the censorship. The studio is confident they can push an update to restore “at least some” of the censored content in the coming weeks.
That timeline accounts for console submission and certification processes, which typically take longer than PC patches. AdHoc stopped short of promising a fully uncensored Switch release, suggesting some restrictions may remain permanent.
