In practically every Telltale game, players will see the message: “Silence is a valid option.” But despite AdHoc being formed by prior TellTale Games devs, such an option does not appear in a playthrough of Dispatch. Whereas TellTale games usually had the player character stay silent if no option is selected, failing to pick one in Dispatch results in one being automatically selected. And now devs have explained why.
In theory, silence is a valid option when it comes to choice-based games. It can represent failure to act, result in bad outcomes, or it can create a sense that this particular character is super awkward at times. Not to mention, it pays homage to silent protagonists in video games if you squint properly. But that’s not who Dispatch protagonist Robert Robertson is, and that’s only part of the reason.
Silence is a Valid Option for 1% of Players
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC), as reported by PCGamer, Dispatch creative directors Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart explained why AdHoc did not pursue this additional dialogue option: less than 1% of players ever chose it. Herman explained how the team loved playing choice-based games like an “absolute weirdo” who responded to everything “with a blank stare.” But their experience at Telltale came into play, and they knew the numbers. “Silent options were triggered either intentionally or unintentionally less than 1% of the time across all users globally,” Herman explained.
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Despite this, Lenart explained that AdHoc still considered supporting this “silence is a valid option” playstyle. 1% of players are still players, after all, but doing so across all of Dispatch‘s dialogue choices would result in “almost 15 full minutes of Robert not saying anything.” It’s worth adding that, beyond this not really fitting the character of Robert Robertson, it makes little sense to give an option to skip Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul’s performance. Dispatch‘s performances, including his and beyond, were one of the most praised elements of the game.
Robert Robertson going mute would also create new scenarios that AdHoc would have to resolve. There’s almost always someone on the other side speaking to Robert, which means having to factor in that impact on other characters. Overall, it creates more work than the team could justify. As Herman explained,
“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but we still had to write other characters reacting to that silence. We have to record voice. We had to storyboard, animate, light, and polish all of this. All this to support less than 1% of situations, especially as a new studio, really felt not worth it. So we killed it.”
Dispatch Fans Didn’t Mind Its Absence
And while, yes, that’s unfortunate for 1% of use cases, it’s not like it was something fans missed. Many probably didn’t even think about it. Every week, players responded to the performances and choices in the available Dispatch episodes. And when it all came to an end, fan cries for Dispatch season 2 were almost immediate. AdHoc has yet to say anything official about Dispatch season 2, although many actors and developers have given supportive personal comments on the idea, but perhaps this feature will come back. Or perhaps silence is no longer a valid option.
It’s uncertain what the future of Dispatch will be now, but things are looking up for AdHoc. A GDC talk about the game is nothing to scoff about, but as importantly, it proved to be a critical and commercial success. Dispatch sold over 3 million units within two months of its release cycle and has come to new platforms like the Nintendo Switch. Not to mention, players have been creating Dispatch season 2 wish lists since the moment the season ended, and that kind of response only comes when something special happens.
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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AdHoc Studio
- Publisher(s)
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AdHoc Studio
