Dispatch Sells 1 Million Copies in 10 Days and Revives Episodic Storytelling

AdHoc Studio launched its first game, Dispatch, on October 22, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and PC through Steam. Only episodes one and two appeared at release. Ten days later, the team announced sales crossed one million copies. Four former Telltale Games developers founded the studio: Nick Herman, Dennis Lenart, Pierre Shorette, and Michael Choung. Their experience shows in the polished dialogue system and branching paths.

The announcement came through a social media post that acknowledged the milestone with light humor. Selling one million units for a debut title from a small team stands out, especially when the full eight-episode season wraps up on November 12. Steam tracked the game as its top seller for a week, and peak concurrent players reached 65,000 during new episode launches.

Players control Robert Robertson, once the superhero Mecha Man. He now handles a desk job coordinating former villains on emergency calls across Los Angeles. The setup mixes humor from office dynamics with high-stakes decisions. Aaron Paul voices the lead, joined by Jeffrey Wright, Laura Bailey, and others, including content creators Jacksepticeye and MoistCr1TiKaL.

Hand-drawn animation reaches television quality levels. Choices affect relationships and later missions in meaningful ways. Designers fixed past complaints about shallow consequences by creating paths that shift outcomes across episodes. Each installment lasts two to three hours, fitting busy schedules.

Weekly drops keep players returning. The structure turns gaming sessions into scheduled events, similar to watching a favorite show. Steam reviews average 4.8 stars from thousands of users, praising writing and voice work. Critics from Polygon and Kotaku highlight the balance of laughs and character growth.

Some players prefer full games at once. Waiting five weeks for the complete story tests patience. Still, return rates climb with each release, and discussions fill forums between episodes. The $29.99 price delivers value without matching AAA budgets.

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season One sold one million copies in twenty days back in 2012. That title proved episodic narratives could succeed commercially. Dispatch cut the time in half with a smaller team and no prior studio name recognition. Telltale closed in 2018, leaving a gap that AdHoc now fills with updated technology and stronger choice impact.

Life Is Strange built a fan base through similar releases and emotional stakes. Players complete those stories at higher rates than many open-world games. Dispatch follows the pattern but adds comedy to the superhero genre. Both cases show focused teams can compete when they prioritize script and performance over scale.

Narrative games grow faster than other indie segments in 2025. Nearly half of top-performing independent titles on Steam emphasize story over action. Players pay for quality writing and acting, even at premium prices for shorter experiences. Dispatch validates spending on talent and animation instead of vast worlds.

Larger publishers face rising costs, while smaller studios like AdHoc operate lean. The one million sales mark builds confidence for investors eyeing similar projects. Platforms may push to add such titles to subscription services for wider reach.

Hand-drawn frames and professional recording sessions demand intense labor. Weekly pacing strains the team over seven weeks. Costs stay high compared to code-heavy games, and profits depend on undisclosed budgets. Expanding to Xbox or Switch could grow the audience but requires more resources.

Player data from choices raises privacy questions under regulations like GDPR. Platforms enforce security standards, and save compatibility matters for future entries. The studio must balance quality with sustainable schedules for long-term health.

Strong sales open doors for sequels or spin-offs. The universe suits television adaptation, with characters and scripts ready for screen. Book tie-ins or comics could extend the world. Partnerships with animation houses might speed production on new episodes.

Other developers could license the choice system. Academic groups study decision patterns to improve design. The success encourages entertainment talent to join games, blending industries further.