Nintendo Blocks Uncensored Release of Episodic Superhero Game Dispatch on Switch

Dispatch, the celebrated episodic superhero narrative game crafted by a team of former Telltale developers at AdHoc, has made its way to the Switch a few months after its debut on PlayStation and PC. However, the Nintendo version is notably more suitable for younger audiences.

This game features a significant amount of sexually explicit content, including scenes with both partially and fully nude characters. The default setting leaves everything uncensored unless you toggle off the nudity option in the settings, which will then hide any nudity and related sound effects. Additionally, any middle fingers will be obscured.

There are two key issues regarding the newly launched Switch version: First, the default setting is the only option available. There is no uncensored version of the game on Switch, meaning players are stuck with the automatic censorship. Second, the method of censorship employed by AdHoc is quite intrusive. They use large black bars to cover any explicit content, which can be visually jarring and distracting.

AdHoc addressed this by stating, “Different platforms have different content criteria, and submissions are evaluated individually. We worked with Nintendo to ensure the content within the title met the criteria to release on their platforms, but the core narrative and gameplay experience remains identical to the original release.”

While it’s widely recognized that Nintendo’s brand tends to be less mature compared to PlayStation or Xbox, there are still numerous games on the Switch that contain explicit content and violence. A quick search of the Switch eShop reveals a variety of titles with “hentai” in their names, alongside major games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, which were ported to Switch with minimal censorship.

I’ve reached out to Nintendo for clarification on why Dispatch received different treatment and will provide updates if I receive a response.

Dispatch helped me break out of my gaming slump when nothing else could.