AdHoc Studio’s narrative-driven superhero game, Dispatch, became a massive commercial success by selling over 3 million copies by the end of 2025, despite industry experts initially labeling the genre “dead.” During a GDC talk, co-founders Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart revealed that the project was fueled by a blend of stubbornness and defiance against a market obsessed with live-service titles.
Challenging the ‘Dead’ Narrative Genre
Herman and Lenart, alongside co-founders Pierre Shorette and Michael Chung, established AdHoc in 2018 shortly after leaving Telltale Games. Armed with years of experience in choice-driven storytelling, the team aimed to innovate on the classic narrative formula. However, the timing was difficult; the industry was shifting heavily toward live-service models, leaving little room for singleplayer experiences in the eyes of potential investors.
The ‘Arrogance and Stupidity’ Factor
When pitching Dispatch, the team faced constant rejection. Investors pointed to data suggesting the genre was niche or effectively obsolete. "We thought they were wrong, which was definitely a mix of arrogance and stupidity," Herman admitted during the panel. Despite the lack of external validation, the studio remained confident, bolstered by the fact that they possessed some of the industry’s deepest expertise in narrative game design.
Commitment to Uncompromising Quality
Lenart emphasized that the studio’s survival and subsequent success hinged on a strict commitment to quality. By focusing solely on their core strengths rather than chasing industry trends like open-world action RPGs, they ensured every element of Dispatch felt deliberate and polished. This singular focus allowed them to avoid the "caveats" often found in projects forced to pivot by publishers.
The result of this defiance speaks for itself: with over 165,000 reviews on Steam, the game maintains a stellar 97% positive rating, proving that the appetite for high-quality narrative games was far from extinguished.
