Dispatch Developer Addresses Controversial Switch Censorship With New Patch — Though 'Some Hard Requirements From Nintendo' Remain
Dispatch developer AdHoc Studio has issued a patch to unlock more nudity options on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, after unexpected in-game censorship was discovered by players earlier this year, prompting a huge furore. The "HR Violations Pack" is available to download today in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and unlocks the ability to see "breasts, butts, and birds (AKA, obscene gestures)."
For those who'd still rather not see video game boobs and bums, AdHoc has also provided alternate options to its default ugly black censorship boxes: a more tasteful pixelated effect, and comedy cover-up items such as jorts. These can be chosen at will from the game's options.
What Went Wrong?
However, as AdHoc rather suggestively states, "hard requirements from Nintendo" remain. Genitalia is still banned, and Invisigal's audio during her erotic dream sequence remains muted. Oh, and nothing will change in Japan, where full censorship remains, and you don't even get to choose pixelated or jort effects.
AdHoc has also gone into more detail on "what the f*** happened" to prompt such controversy in the first place, in an explanation shared with IGN ahead of today's update going live. "The short version: Approaching launch and running out of time and resources, we were surprised to learn that our game would require some level of censoring in all regions, not just the few we were already planning for," AdHoc wrote.
"In a difficult spot, we decided to use a single Switch build that complied with Nintendo’s strictest regional rating. This led us to deliver a more censored version of Dispatch than Switch players were expecting."
The censorship itself wasn't the only problem, though. Those of you who wishlisted, pre-ordered, or bought Dispatch on Switch did so based on what you'd seen in trailers, previews, and reviews from other platforms. The problem was we didn't make it clear enough, before you spent your money, that the version you were buying was materially different from that game. And for that we're truly sorry.
But you stuck with us. And the good news is that the success you all brought Dispatch gave us the opportunity to make this right, so we invested development time into creating the Switch version you all should have gotten in the first place.
What’s Next?
Today's options will also roll out on PC and PS5 (and to Xbox when the game arrives there) if players want to experiment, though the game's uncensored version will remain the default experience.
