Switch and Switch 2 Censor Dispatch

AdHoc Studio’s game, Dispatch, has faced censorship on Nintendo Switch consoles. After its recent launch on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, players encountered black bars and altered language during scenes featuring nudity and explicit audio.

Details of Censorship on Nintendo Switch

Unlike other platforms, such as PlayStation 5 and Windows, where players can toggle content censorship, the Nintendo Switch version comes with censorship enabled by default. There are no options to remove these modifications, which has drawn significant attention from the gaming community.

Developer’s Statement

In a statement shared with Filmogaz.com, AdHoc Studio explained, “We worked with Nintendo to ensure content within the title met the criteria to release on its platform.” The developer emphasized that content evaluations are conducted separately for each platform, maintaining that the core narrative and gameplay experience remains the same as the original version.

Nintendo’s Clarification

In response to the situation, Nintendo stated that it does not alter partner content. Nintendo requires all games on its platform to receive ratings from independent organizations and to comply with specific content guidelines. The company clarified, “While we inform partners when their titles don’t meet our guidelines, Nintendo does not make changes to partner content.”

Community Reactions and Comparisons

Reactions on platforms like Reddit highlight that the Japan-exclusive PS5 version of Dispatch, released simultaneously with the Switch ports, also faces similar censorship issues. This indicates the existence of both a censored and a non-censored version of the game. However, the latter is not available on Switch consoles.

Speculation on Censorship Reasons

Experts suggest that AdHoc’s decision to provide a censored version for Switch might comply with various rating boards, such as Japan’s Computer Entertainment Rating Organisation (CERO). For comparison, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 also had different versions for the Switch 2, where the Japanese version was CERO Z-rated, excluding nudity and explicit content.

Conclusion

The censorship of Dispatch on Nintendo Switch consoles has raised questions about content presentation across platforms. As developers adapt to varying criteria, the gaming community remains vocal about their dissatisfaction with limited options for uncensored gameplay.