Have you ever wondered how a seemingly ordinary, even absurd, detail can completely transform a story's impact? In the superhero workplace comedy Dispatch, the ending hinged on a surprising element: a chubby, flatulent dog named Beef. But here's the kicker: the dramatic finale we see wasn't the original plan at all! AdHoc Studio, the creators of Dispatch, initially envisioned a very different conclusion, and it took some creative maneuvering to arrive at the explosive, emotionally charged climax we experienced.
[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for Dispatch episodes 6-8, so proceed with caution if you haven't played them yet!]
In episode 8, Shroud, the main antagonist, and his Red Ring gang launch a desperate attack on the SDN Torrance offices, seeking the Astral Pulse – a powerful device that fuels Robert's Mecha Man suit. The episode culminates in a series of beautifully animated fight scenes, leading to Shroud taking Beef, Robert's beloved and delightfully gassy dog, hostage. He offers to trade Beef for the Astral Pulse, presenting the player with a pivotal choice after the exchange: spare Shroud's life or end it. This decision is weighty, given that Shroud murdered Robert's father before the game's story even began. It directly builds upon an earlier choice where Robert declares his intentions regarding Shroud's fate – lethal or otherwise. This intense moment wasn't always part of the narrative, though. And this is the part most people miss...
According to Nick Herman, creative director at AdHoc, the initial concept for Dispatch leaned more towards a workplace drama with superhero elements, rather than a full-blown superhero adventure. Early drafts lacked the grand confrontation between the SDN team and Los Angeles' villains, missing the typical superhero story climax. "We were on the fence about whether to have a traditional ending with the big bad guy showing up," Herman explained. "We ultimately decided to go for it, partly out of fear that players would expect it. We thought, 'Let's give the people what they want and make them happy.'" But here's where it gets controversial...
Narrative director Pierre Shorette added, "In a more traditional project, with a planned three-season arc, we might have killed off Chase at the end of episode 6 to leave the audience hanging for two years." The uncertainty surrounding Dispatch's future, and that of AdHoc as a studio, fostered what Shorette described as a "burn the boats" mentality. They decided to throw everything they had into the final confrontation, just in case they didn't get another chance. This included the showdown with Shroud, the game's primary villain.
The challenge was that Shroud is practically absent until episode 7. Moreover, the connection between the criminal organization the team faces throughout the game and Shroud's leadership is barely mentioned until the final act. Herman acknowledged the risk of leaving the villain's reveal so late, but they remained committed to the core themes of relationships and workplace dynamics.
To bridge this gap, casting Matt Mercer as Shroud provided a significant boost. Shorette noted that Mercer's performance imbued Shroud with a genuinely menacing presence. However, Shorette still worried that the Shroud storyline wouldn't fully resonate with players, given the long hiatus since his initial introduction. Dispatch emphasizes redemption and second chances. Robert even states that heroes don't kill. These factors, combined with the player's complete lack of connection to Robert's deceased father (who is never seen or met), led the team to believe that the final choice regarding Shroud's fate wouldn't carry much weight. They anticipated players would choose the heroic path and spare the life of someone they had no real reason to hate.
That's when Beef, the chubby, farting companion, entered the scene as the ultimate emotional lever. To achieve the desired impact, they orchestrated Shroud's kidnapping of Beef.
"We saw players who were initially determined to spare Shroud's life," Herman recalled, "but the moment he held up the dog, everything changed. It was over." And it worked! Players who completed episode 8 reacted similarly. While the in-game statistics don't show a perfectly even split between those who spare Shroud and those who execute him (currently, around 35% chose to kill him), the division is far closer than the AdHoc team anticipated. "Now, I'm worried too many people are killing Shroud," Shorette joked, "and we've got a problem in society." This raises a crucial question: Does a character's actions toward an innocent animal justify a more extreme response than their actions against other humans? Was it right for the developers to make this kind of emotional manipulation to push the narrative towards a specific outcome? This is a bold statement, and it's sure to spark debate. What do you think? Did Beef's presence enhance the story or cheapen it? Should developers rely on such tactics to influence player choices? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
