When Dispatch launched on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 earlier this week, people were surprised to learn that it was only available in a censored capacity. While it might not be the biggest deal, the stated reason from developer AdHoc didn’t quite add up when you consider other mature games exist on Nintendo’s consoles, including something like Cyberpunk 2077. Now, Nintendo has given a statement to outlet GoNintendo that… also doesn’t really clear things up.
When asked by GoNintendo for a comment, Nintendo responded, “Nintendo requires all games on its platforms to receive ratings from independent organizations and to meet our established content and platform guidelines. While we inform partners when their titles don’t meet our guidelines, Nintendo does not make changes to partner content. We also do not discuss specific content or the criteria used in making these determinations.”
If we read between the lines a little, it seems like Nintendo is claiming AdHoc is responsible for any changes made to Dispatch. There is some potential truth to that assumption, as releasing a universal version for sale in the United States and Japan would necessitate censorship. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 was released as an M-rated game in the US and Europe, but CD Projekt Red created a separate Japanese CERO Z rated version that contains some censorship (things like decapitation and nudity are removed). AdHoc maybe didn’t want to create two different versions of Dispatch for Switch and Switch 2, thus everyone gets a censored release.
Users on Reddit have also reported that the Japanese PlayStation 5 version of Dispatch, which was released the same day as the Switch ports, is also censored. If that’s the case, there’s still some potential that AdHoc could remedy the situation for users in the US. I wouldn’t hold out hope, however.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
