AdHoc has released a patch for its occasionally quite rude superhero workplace comedy Dispatch on Switch, addressing some of those controversial censorship mandates put in place by Nintendo.
When the game made its Nintendo debut, many fans were disappointed to discover Dispatch was heavily censored on Switch and Switch 2, with characters’ nipples and penises covered by a black box, and noises of sexual pleasure dampened down. Soon after, AdHoc said it understood why its fans were “pissed” and that it was working with Nintendo “on a path forward”.
Which brings me to today, and Dispatch’s HR Violations Pack, which is available to download in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Once this pack has been downloaded, Switch players will be able to choose whether or not they see all of the game’s various “breasts, butts and birds (AKA, obscene gestures)” on offer.
While this is an improvement, there are some “hard requirements from Nintendo” which apparently remain, so those aforementioned moans of sexual pleasure are still muted and you won’t see any penises on screen. AdHoc has at least sought to make the censorship for these bits a touch more playful, though, and players can choose to cover up the offending dangly with either an “elegant mosaic, the classic black bars, or…utter chaos”. If you choose the path of chaos, then you will see the penis covered up with the likes of denim hot pants (“Strategically placed jorts, anyone?”) or an oozing jam donut.
Those who have Dispatch on Steam or PS5 will also be able to choose from the game’s new censorship options, though Uncensored will remain the default settings on these platforms. This will also be the same when the game arrives on Xbox this summer.
Despite this recent blip in public favour, Dispatch has been a huge success for AdHoc, selling over 1m copies in just 10 days following its initial release last year. Thanks to this success, the studio is now considering a second season, possibly with even more sex scenes given the “ravenous” response to the first season.
