AdHoc Studio just wrapped up a successful first season of Dispatch, their superhero workplace comedy that featured Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, and several Critical Role cast members. Now the big question is what comes next. The studio has two major projects on the horizon: Dispatch Season 2 and an original game set in Critical Role’s Exandria universe. According to recent statements from the studio, fans won’t have to wait forever for more Dispatch content.
AdHoc CEO Michael Choung made it clear that the Critical Role collaboration, while exciting, won’t derail plans for continuing Dispatch. Even Choung himself wants to see Season 2 happen as quickly as possible, suggesting the studio understands what resonated with players and wants to capitalize on that momentum.
How Critical Role and AdHoc Became Partners
The partnership between Critical Role and AdHoc Studio started through a simple audition. Travis Willingham, who serves as both a Critical Role cast member and the CEO of the company, auditioned for a role in Dispatch. What he saw during that process completely blew him away.
Willingham was so impressed by AdHoc’s animation quality, storytelling approach, and overall vision that he immediately reached out to explore whether they could create something similar for Critical Role. That initial conversation led to a dinner meeting between Willingham, Laura Bailey, and AdHoc co-founders Nick Herman and Michael Choung in Studio City. The chemistry was instant, and the partnership quickly materialized.
The collaboration now extends beyond just the Exandria video game. Critical Role and AdHoc are working together on brand development initiatives including merchandise, tabletop gaming products, and other creative projects. It’s a comprehensive partnership built on mutual respect and aligned creative visions.
What We Know About the Critical Role Game
Details about the Critical Role game remain relatively scarce, but several key pieces of information have emerged. The game will be set in Exandria, the fantasy world that has served as the setting for Critical Role’s first three campaigns. However, it won’t simply retread familiar ground from the main show.
According to Willingham, the game is still in early development stages. The team is currently working through fundamental questions about scope, budget, and must-have features. One thing is certain: fans will want to see their favorite characters, and AdHoc plans to deliver on that expectation.
The game will likely follow a similar narrative template to Dispatch, emphasizing player choice and branching storylines. This makes sense given AdHoc’s background. The studio was founded by veterans from Telltale Games, Ubisoft, and Night School Studio, all known for choice-driven narrative experiences.
Willingham hinted that the story might take place during a time period between Critical Role’s main campaigns. This approach would allow the game to feature characters from Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells without contradicting established canon from the show. It’s a smart way to give the game narrative freedom while still delivering fan-favorite moments.
Production Timeline and Scope
Critical Role has been thinking about creating a video game for years, but the logistics always seemed daunting. Willingham described the challenge of finding what he calls the “Goldilocks zone” – a project substantial enough to succeed commercially but not so ambitious that it requires five-plus years of AAA development.
The partnership with AdHoc provides exactly that middle ground. With a more practical and responsible approach to production, Critical Role anticipates a development timeline of a couple years rather than the extended cycles typical of massive blockbuster games. This fits perfectly with AdHoc’s episodic development model proven successful with Dispatch.
Why Dispatch Season 2 Takes Priority
Dispatch released as an eight-episode series between October and November 2024 on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The game follows Robert Robertson, a former superhero whose mech suit gets destroyed in battle, forcing him to take a civilian job at a superhero dispatch center. Players manage a dysfunctional team of ex-villain heroes while navigating office politics and personal relationships.
The game found genuine success both critically and commercially. Players responded positively to the writing quality, voice performances, and the unique gameplay loop combining dispatch management with narrative choices. That success naturally creates demand for more content.
From AdHoc’s perspective, maintaining momentum makes business sense. They’ve built an audience, proven their creative concept works, and established the technical pipeline for episodic releases. Letting that sit idle while developing an entirely different game for years would waste valuable opportunity.
The writing-intensive nature of these games also plays a role. As one Reddit commenter noted, when gameplay revolves primarily around conversations, dispatch mechanics, and quicktime events, quality hinges almost entirely on strong writing. Dispatch Season 1 excelled in that area, but replicating that quality requires focused effort and time.
The Telltale Influence
Understanding AdHoc’s approach requires understanding their Telltale Games heritage. Many AdHoc team members previously worked on beloved titles like The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead at Telltale. They know firsthand both the strengths and limitations of episodic narrative gaming.
Telltale’s original business model involved releasing multiple episodic games simultaneously across different franchises. This eventually contributed to the studio’s collapse as quality suffered and production schedules became unsustainable. AdHoc appears determined not to repeat those mistakes.
By prioritizing Dispatch Season 2 while keeping the Critical Role project in early development, AdHoc demonstrates a more measured approach. They’re not trying to do everything at once. Instead, they’re building one successful franchise while carefully developing the next.
What This Means for Fans
For Dispatch fans, this news is reassuring. The game’s cliffhanger ending and unresolved storylines clearly set up future content. Knowing that AdHoc intends to deliver Season 2 relatively quickly means those narrative threads won’t be left dangling indefinitely.
For Critical Role fans, patience will be necessary. The Exandria game won’t arrive soon, but the deliberate development approach increases the likelihood it will be polished and well-crafted when it does release. Critical Role has spent a decade building their brand and community. Rushing a mediocre game would damage that legacy far more than taking extra time to get it right.
The collaboration also benefits from Critical Role’s current position. With Campaign 3 having concluded in February 2025 and Campaign 4 now underway with Brennan Lee Mulligan as Game Master in the new setting of Araman, there’s no urgency to release an Exandria game immediately. The world and characters will still be relevant whenever the game arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Dispatch Season 2 be released?
AdHoc Studio hasn’t announced an official release date for Dispatch Season 2 yet, but CEO Michael Choung has indicated the studio wants to release it as quickly as possible and won’t let other projects delay it.
What is the Critical Role game about?
The Critical Role game will be set in Exandria and feature fan-favorite characters from the show. It will likely emphasize player choice and branching narratives similar to Dispatch, and may take place during a time period between the main campaigns.
Who is developing the Critical Role game?
AdHoc Studio is developing the Critical Role game in partnership with Critical Role. AdHoc was founded by veterans from Telltale Games, Ubisoft, and Night School Studio.
How did Critical Role and AdHoc Studio start working together?
The partnership began when Travis Willingham auditioned for Dispatch and was so impressed by AdHoc’s work that he approached them about creating a game for Critical Role. This led to a broader collaboration on multiple projects.
Will the Critical Role game be canon to the show?
While details are still being finalized, the game will be set in Exandria and feature established characters. It will likely take place between campaigns to allow narrative freedom without contradicting the main show’s storylines.
What platforms will the Critical Role game be on?
Platform details haven’t been announced yet. Dispatch released on PlayStation 5 and PC, so the Critical Role game will likely target similar platforms.
How long will the Critical Role game take to develop?
Critical Role expects a production timeline of around two years rather than the five-plus years typical of AAA games. The project is currently in early development stages.
Is AdHoc Studio the new Telltale Games?
AdHoc was founded by former Telltale developers and creates similar narrative-driven episodic games. However, they’re operating independently and appear focused on avoiding the production issues that eventually led to Telltale’s original closure.
Building Sustainable Success
The narrative game genre has seen plenty of studios burn bright and then collapse under unsustainable production demands. AdHoc seems acutely aware of this history and is taking deliberate steps to avoid repeating it. Prioritizing Dispatch Season 2 while developing the Critical Role game at a measured pace suggests a studio thinking long-term rather than chasing short-term wins.
For an industry often criticized for crunch culture and unrealistic timelines, AdHoc’s approach feels refreshingly grounded. Great narrative games require great writing, and great writing can’t be rushed. By giving both projects the time and resources they need, AdHoc increases the chances both will live up to their potential. That’s good news for everyone involved.