AdHoc Studio co-founders said they will have to think about Dispatch Season 2 after the superhero workplace comedy sold over 1 million copies with only half the episodes released. The former Telltale developers are also working on a Critical Role Exandria game. Pierre Shorette and Nick Herman revealed in an interview on Skill Up’s YouTube channel with Jake Baldino from Gameranx that Season 2 was a question mark three weeks ago but is now a very cool problem to have thanks to the game’s unexpected breakout success.
The Success Nobody Expected
Dispatch launched October 22, 2025 with the first two episodes of its eight-episode season. AdHoc Studio chose an episodic release structure, dropping two new episodes every week until the finale on November 12. By November 4, just 10 days after launch, the game crossed 1 million copies sold. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that only half the game was available when it hit that milestone.
The numbers tell a story of organic growth driven by word of mouth rather than massive marketing budgets. Player counts doubled as extremely positive reception spread through gaming communities. The game holds an 84 Metascore with a 9.3 user score on Metacritic, and earned a near-perfect 9.5 rating on the PlayStation Store, making it one of the highest-rated PS5 games available.
For a studio of former Telltale developers operating independently without major publisher backing, selling a million copies of a narrative adventure game in 2025 feels like validation that the Telltale-shaped hole in the market was real and nobody had properly filled it in the seven years since that studio’s closure. AdHoc proved players still crave choice-driven narrative experiences when executed with quality writing, strong voice acting, and engaging gameplay hooks.
What Makes Dispatch Different
Dispatch positions itself as a superhero workplace comedy, which immediately separates it from grim dark comic book adaptations that dominate the genre. You play as Robert Robertson, formerly the superhero Mecha Man, who loses his signature mecha suit in battle and takes a job as a dispatcher for a team of villains-turned-superheroes. The premise creates natural comedy through workplace dysfunction while maintaining stakes through actual superhero emergencies.
The gameplay combines traditional Telltale-style dialogue trees and choice-based narrative with a strategic dispatch system. Players navigate superhero teams across the Superhero Dispatch Network map, deciding which heroes best fit specific crimes and events based on their stats, character traits, and cooldown timers. This layer of resource management and strategic thinking elevates Dispatch beyond purely narrative experiences into something that engages players mechanically between story beats.
The voice cast reads like a wish list for gamers who value performance quality. Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad, Jeffrey Wright from Westworld, and Critical Role cast members Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Liam O’Brien, and Matthew Mercer bring gravitas to the superhero characters. Content creators Jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL, Joel Haver, and Alanah Pearce add contemporary gaming culture credibility. This ensemble creates authentic performances that sell the workplace comedy tone.
The Episodic Release Strategy Worked
Releasing episodes weekly created sustained engagement that single-launch games struggle to maintain. Players developed weekly rituals around each drop, gathering in community spaces to share theories, predict future events, and explore character arcs. The staggered release kept Dispatch in conversation for a month rather than experiencing the typical launch spike followed by rapid player decline.
The schedule released episodes in pairs every week. Episodes 1 and 2 launched October 22, episodes 3 and 4 arrived October 29, episodes 5 and 6 dropped November 5, with the finale episodes 7 and 8 scheduled for November 12. This pacing gave players enough content each week to feel satisfied while maintaining anticipation for what comes next. The uniform global release times at 9am PST, 12pm EST, and 5pm GMT let fans worldwide experience launches almost simultaneously.
Critics initially questioned whether episodic releases still worked after Telltale’s troubles and the shift toward complete experiences at launch. Dispatch proved the format remains viable when execution is strong and the release schedule is compressed into weeks rather than months. Players knew exactly when content arrived and could plan their gaming schedules accordingly rather than waiting indefinitely between episodes.
The Critical Role Partnership
Before Dispatch even launched, AdHoc Studio announced a partnership with Critical Role Productions for merchandise, tabletop gaming, an animated series, and crucially, a new video game set in the Critical Role universe of Exandria. This partnership emerged after Travis Willingham, Critical Role CEO and veteran voice actor, received an audition for Dispatch and absolutely flipped out because the animation was so amazing.
Willingham called AdHoc co-founder Nick Herman to discuss creating a game with similar animation style for Critical Role. The two companies are now co-developing something unique in the world of Exandria, though details remain scarce since the project is very early in development. Willingham suggested the game would need a brand-new storyline, potentially set between Critical Role’s main campaigns, with possible appearances from fan-favorite groups like Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells.
The belief is that the Exandria game will follow Dispatch’s narrative template where players make meaningful choices that affect outcomes. Critical Role’s massive fanbase combined with AdHoc’s proven ability to create engaging narrative games creates significant commercial potential. However, this partnership also creates interesting timing questions around Dispatch Season 2.
Season 2 Versus Exandria
AdHoc Studio now faces the good problem of having multiple viable projects competing for limited development resources. Dispatch Season 2 would capitalize on momentum from the first season’s success, keeping players engaged and expanding the superhero universe they built. The Exandria game taps into Critical Role’s established audience and represents potential for even larger commercial success given that franchise’s popularity.
The developers have not committed to either project yet, though both are clearly under consideration. Pierre Shorette’s comment about having to at least think about Season 2 suggests they recognize the opportunity but have not made final decisions about resource allocation and development timelines. As a relatively small studio of former Telltale developers, they cannot simultaneously develop multiple narrative games without significant expansion.
The smart move might be starting pre-production on Season 2 to strike while interest remains high while dedicating the bulk of resources to the Exandria game given its partnership obligations. Alternatively, they could focus entirely on Exandria and return to Dispatch after establishing themselves with the Critical Role audience. The choice will likely depend on contractual obligations, financial considerations, and creative team preferences.
What the Industry Can Learn From This
Dispatch’s success demonstrates several important lessons for the gaming industry. First, there remains substantial appetite for narrative-driven choice-based games despite widespread assumptions that the Telltale model died with that studio. Second, episodic releases work when executed properly with compressed schedules and consistent quality. Third, moderate production budgets focused on strong writing and performance can compete commercially with big-budget spectacles.
The game also proves that PC and PlayStation exclusivity does not prevent commercial success for the right titles. Dispatch is not available on Xbox Series X/S or Nintendo Switch 2, yet still hit a million sales primarily on Steam and PS5. While broader platform availability would certainly increase total sales, the launch strategy demonstrates you can build substantial success on two platforms when product quality drives organic word-of-mouth marketing.
Finally, Dispatch shows how content creator involvement can amplify reach without feeling exploitative. Jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL, Joel Haver, and Alanah Pearce bring authentic performances to their roles rather than awkward cameos designed purely for marketing value. Their genuine enthusiasm for the project translates to their audiences, creating crossover appeal between traditional gaming demographics and content creator fanbases.
The Formula for Narrative Game Revival
AdHoc Studio cracked a formula that could revive the narrative adventure genre. Start with experienced talent who understand how to structure choice-based storytelling. Add strategic gameplay elements that give players agency beyond just dialogue selection. Cast talented voice actors who can sell the material. Release episodically on a compressed schedule that maintains engagement without testing patience. Price competitively and let quality drive organic growth through word of mouth.
This approach requires discipline that major publishers struggle to maintain. You cannot have twenty different stakeholders demanding changes to appeal to broader audiences. You cannot inflate budgets chasing photorealistic graphics when stylized animation communicates character more effectively. You cannot extend development cycles indefinitely while market interest evaporates. AdHoc succeeded partly because they operated lean and focused on executing their specific vision without compromise.
What Happens After November 12
The final two episodes of Dispatch Season 1 launch November 12, completing the eight-episode arc. Player expectations are high given the consistent quality maintained across the first six episodes. Sticking the landing matters enormously for setting up potential Season 2 and establishing AdHoc’s reputation for satisfying narrative conclusions.
Post-launch, the developers will analyze player choices, completion rates, and community feedback to inform future decisions. The data will reveal which characters resonated most strongly, which gameplay mechanics players enjoyed versus tolerated, and where pacing succeeded or dragged. This information becomes invaluable for planning Season 2 or applying lessons to the Exandria project.
Community discussion will shift from weekly episode reactions to overall season retrospectives. Did the workplace comedy tone sustain across eight episodes? Did the strategic dispatch system remain engaging or become repetitive? Did player choices feel meaningful or cosmetic? The answers will determine whether Dispatch joins the pantheon of great narrative games or becomes a flash-in-the-pan success that could not sustain momentum.
FAQs About Dispatch and Season 2
Is Dispatch Season 2 officially confirmed?
No, Season 2 is not officially confirmed. AdHoc Studio co-founders said they will have to at least think about Season 2 given the game’s success, but no commitment has been made yet. The decision likely depends on development resources and obligations to the Critical Role partnership.
How many copies has Dispatch sold?
Dispatch sold over 1 million copies in the first 10 days after launch on October 22, 2025. This milestone was reached with only four of eight episodes available, making it an impressive commercial achievement for an independent narrative game.
When does Dispatch Season 1 conclude?
The final two episodes, episodes 7 and 8, release November 12, 2025. This completes the eight-episode arc that began October 22 with two new episodes dropping each week.
What is the Critical Role Exandria game?
AdHoc Studio is co-developing a video game with Critical Role Productions set in the world of Exandria. The game is very early in development and will likely follow a narrative choice-based format similar to Dispatch. Details about story, characters, and release timing have not been announced.
Who developed Dispatch?
Dispatch was developed by AdHoc Studio, a team formed by former Telltale Games developers who worked on The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Tales from the Borderlands. Co-founders Pierre Shorette and Nick Herman lead the studio.
Is Dispatch available on Xbox or Nintendo Switch?
No, Dispatch is currently only available on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via Steam. There are no announced plans for Xbox Series X/S or Nintendo Switch versions.
What makes Dispatch different from typical Telltale games?
Beyond dialogue choices, Dispatch adds strategic gameplay where players manage superhero teams across a dispatch network, deciding which heroes handle specific crimes based on stats, traits, and cooldowns. This resource management layer differentiates it from pure narrative adventures.
Why did AdHoc choose episodic release instead of launching all episodes at once?
The episodic structure created sustained engagement over a month rather than a single launch spike. Weekly releases generated community discussion, theories, and anticipation between episodes while giving developers time to incorporate feedback into later content.
Conclusion
Dispatch’s unexpected success story proves that narrative adventure games can thrive when talented developers execute clear vision with quality writing, strong performances, and smart gameplay integration. AdHoc Studio faces enviable challenges deciding whether to capitalize immediately on Dispatch’s momentum with Season 2 or focus resources on the Critical Role partnership that could reach even larger audiences. Whatever they choose, they have demonstrated that the Telltale formula was not the problem – inconsistent quality, protracted development cycles, and publisher interference killed that studio, not lack of audience interest in choice-driven storytelling. As episodes 7 and 8 launch November 12 to complete Season 1, the gaming world watches to see whether AdHoc sticks the landing and cements their reputation as the studio that finally filled the Telltale-shaped hole in gaming. For now, a million players in 10 days suggests they are on the right track, and the potential for Season 2 means this superhero workplace comedy might become a franchise that defines narrative gaming for years to come.