What Is Dispatch? The Episodic Game That Sold 2 Million Copies In A Month

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If you’ve been anywhere near gaming circles in the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard about Dispatch. The episodic superhero workplace comedy has taken the industry by storm, selling over 2 million copies in its first month and earning near-universal critical acclaim.

But what exactly is it, and why is everyone obsessing over it?

The Premise That Shouldn’t Work (But Does)

Dispatch is an eight-episode adventure game from AdHoc Studio — made by the same people who created The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands.

You play as Robert Robertson, AKA Mecha Man, whose mech-suit is destroyed in battle, forcing him to take a mundane job at a superhero dispatch centre. Not as a hero, but as a dispatcher managing a team of ex-supervillains trying to earn redemption through the Phoenix Programme.

It’s The Office meets The Boys, with actual consequences for your choices. And somehow, it all works brilliantly.

The Risky Release Strategy

Here’s where things get interesting. Instead of dropping all episodes at once, AdHoc released them weekly in pairs throughout October and November 2025 — two episodes every Wednesday, like a TV show. The final pair dropped on 12 November, completing the first season.

This sparked debate online. Some players hated waiting. Others loved having time to discuss theories between episodes without the months-long gaps that killed old Telltale games.

But it worked. The game sold 1 million copies in 10 days and hit 2 million within a month, beating the studio’s three-year sales target in three months.

What Makes It Special

The game currently holds 98% positive reviews from over 92,000 Steam users, and critics are equally enthusiastic. But it’s not just about the numbers.

Game Informer says, “Dispatch offers an alternative. Instead of imitating movies, it borrows liberally from prestige television, showcasing character-driven storytelling, slow-burn drama, and high emotional stakes that tighten with every episode.”

Players praise the sharp, adult-oriented writing (expect lots of swearing and mature themes), stellar voice acting from Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and Laura Bailey, and genuinely meaningful choices that affect relationships and outcomes. Each episode runs 45-60 minutes, and the pacing is near-perfect.

PC Gamer says, “Dispatch is ultimately a story about second chances — a fallen hero trying to find his place in the world after his super-powered mech suit is blown to smithereens; villains trying to walk a new path, protecting a city that expects them to fail.”

The Studio’s Wild Journey

The backstory is almost as compelling as the game. AdHoc Studio was formed in 2018 by former Telltale developers after the company’s collapse. Dispatch was originally envisioned as a live-action project but got shut down during COVID-19. After creative differences on The Wolf Among Us 2, they refocused on Dispatch, converting it to animation.

By July 2025, Critical Role Productions stepped in to finance the final stages after AdHoc’s founders went six months without paycheques to keep the studio alive. The risk paid off spectacularly. Now there’s talk of a second season, merchandise deals, tabletop gaming, and an animated series.

The Real Talk

Some players found the episodic model frustrating if they bought early and had to wait. The gameplay is limited — this is more interactive story than traditional game. Choices don’t radically alter the main plot, and the strategy elements are fairly shallow.

Also, fair warning: this is very much an adult game. The language is colourful, the themes are mature, and some humour leans crude. Push Square shares, “The script’s absolutely packed with swears… Against a backdrop of mostly sanitised storytelling in games, its adult leanings are honestly very refreshing.” If that’s not your thing, skip it.If you loved old Telltale games, enjoy superhero stories with actual depth, or want a narrative experience that respects your intelligence whilst making you laugh, Dispatch is an easy recommendation.Don’t be surprised when you find yourself caring deeply about a team of reformed supervillains and their hapless dispatcher boss. That’s the Dispatch effect, and it’s absolutely worth experiencing.

Dispatch is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.

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