Dispatch players on Switch consoles can grab a new “HR Violations Pack” patch for the game–one that spices things up by removing some of the game’s censorship. Available for US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand players, the patch enables an option to see “breasts, butts, and birds (AKA, obscene gestures).”
Developer AdHoc has also provided alternative options for censoring content in the game, as the Switch version originally used intrusive black bars. Players can now apply a mosaic filter instead, or if you’re a John Cena fan, you can cover up characters with strategically placed jorts. According to the studio, certain “hard requirements” from Nintendo remain in effect, so seeing genitalia outright is still not happening, and certain erotic audio effects won’t be heard.
So what exactly happened to Dispatch when it was first released on Switch consoles? According to an explanation AdHoc gave GameSpot, it was pressed for time, and it made use of a single Switch build that complied “with Nintendo’s strictest regional rating,” resulting in heavy-handed censorship in the game.
“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.”
AdHoc added many people wishlisted and preordered the game based on what they’d see in trailers, previews, and reviews of the game on its original PC and PS5 launch platforms, with the studio admitting that it should have informed Switch owners of the censored experience that they were going to get. “For that, we’re truly sorry,” AdHoc wrote. “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.”
The new censorship options will also appear on other platforms, as well as on the Xbox version launching later in the summer. The Switch release of the critically acclaimed game was met with many complaints and requests for refunds once players discovered the censorship, and last year, AdHoc said that players had the right to be “pissed” when it announced that it was working on rectifying the situation.
Beyond that controversy, Dispatch emerged as one of last year’s best games–even if it was snubbed during the awards season. Thanks to the positive reception, Dispatch Season 2 might already be in development.