Dispatch banned on Switch and Switch 2

The game "Dispatch" by AdHoc Studio has faced censorship on Nintendo Switch systems. Upon launching earlier this week, players noticed the presence of black bars and censored dialogues during scenes involving nudity and explicit content.

In contrast to PlayStation 5 and Windows, which include an option to toggle this censorship, the Switch version enforces it by default with no option for removal.

Commenting to Eurogamer, AdHoc stated their collaboration with Nintendo aimed to meet the platform's submission criteria.

The studio remarked, "Submissions are individually assessed across platforms due to different content standards." Despite the censorship, they confirmed the game's narrative and gameplay remain unchanged.

Nintendo, in a statement shared via GoNintendo, mentioned that they do not alter partner game content.

"All titles must adhere to our guidelines and secure ratings from independent bodies," Nintendo outlined. They do notify developers if their games fail to meet standards but refrain from modifying the content themselves.

Discussion on Reddit noted similar censorship in the Japanese PS5 version of Dispatch released simultaneously with the Switch edition.

This points to potential dual versions of the game, with only the censored edition available on the Switch.

GamesIndustry.biz is seeking confirmation from AdHoc regarding these versions.

According to VGC, the decision to prepare a censored release for the Switch might attribute to requirements by rating boards such as CERO in Japan.

For context, CD Projekt Red's Switch 2 adaptation of "Cyberpunk 2077" comes in censored editions, with its Japanese release being rated CERO Z, omitting nudity and extreme violence.