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In 2025, superhero media, especially in the video game realm, is still very much having a moment with no signs of stopping. While most games feature players in capes and spandex having flashy fights (of which there are many), very few require players to put on their thinking caps and micromanage heroes in a narrative-driven adventure with a star-studded celebrity cast to boot. That’s where Dispatch comes in.
Dispatchdeveloped by AdHoc Studio, sees players take on the role of Robert Robertson, a former hero on the downswing of his career. Before plunging into a full-blown depression, Robertson lucks into a lifeline, allowing him to repurpose his superhero know-how as the guy in the chair, wrangling combustible ex-misfits turned caped crusaders and sending them out to tackle a chaotic carousel of citywide emergencies. A dispatch, if you will.
With veterans from genre-defining narrative games like Tales from the Borderlands, The Walking Deadand The Wolf Among Us at the helm, Dispatch boasts a similar flavor of snappy banter that folks will remember later. It also doesn’t hurt that its voice cast is equally loaded, with none other than Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul leading the charge, making his video game voice acting debut to boot.
Given that precedent, io9 spoke with Paul about what drew him to the his first video game role, how the experience stacks up against his work in film and TV, and (because we love chaos) weigh in on whether video games are bigger than the Oscars.
Isaiah Colbert, io9: Your reputation precedes you, having conquered prestige TV, animation, and even dystopian sci-fi. I wanted to ask you, and pardon my French, what made you say, “Hell yeah, bitch!” to stepping into Dispatch as your first full-on video game role?
Aaron Paul: (Laughs) Well done. Well done. I’ve gotta tell you, I’ve been wanting to jump on to a game for some time. I’ve been approached to do some games in the past, but nothing really felt right. But when [Dispatch] landed on my desk, it just checked all the boxes. First of all, the writing’s gotta be there; the story’s gotta be there. It’s gotta be an interesting thing to tackle. I’ve been spoiled in the animated space, so I’m very cautious when it comes to signing on to anything.
The scripts were all written before I signed on, so there was a lot of homework for me to do. But then it was presented to me with this great sizzle reel and a really beautiful scene that had already been animated and had temp voice-over—which was actually really great—and painted the world in such a beautiful light. It made me really excited to sit down with the creators—the masterminds behind it all. After that, for me, it was just a no-brainer. I was very excited to jump on board and lean in.
io9: How did the experience of voicing Robert Robertson compare to your past brushes with gaming, like acting as the hero in Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive or being a big fan of Fallout: New Vegas?
Paul: Ah! I mean, it was just a lot of time. It was very time-consuming because it’s a choose-your-own-adventure game, and so there are a lot of versions of the game that we needed to record. Full transparency: it took about two years to record, which is a lot, y’know. But everyone who signed on to this is incredibly passionate about it. The writing was so great because it has you laughing until you’re crying. But then also it’s really making you think about pretty heavy emotions. It’s taking you on a journey. I’m excited for people to play it. But then I really hope that they like it so much—and I really feel this is gonna be the case—that they’re gonna wanna try a different path. I’m excited for people to do that because it’s gonna take them down a road that they were not expecting whatsoever.
io9: We’ve been talking about its story, and Dispatch turns the superhero genre inside out—no capes, no combat, just the messy, high-stakes micromanagement behind the curtain. What pulled you toward that kind of premise? I know you mentioned you’re usually picky when it comes to game projects. Was it the novelty of Dispatch‘s story or some of the folks at AdHoc’s pedigree with narrative-driven hits like The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead that sealed the deal for you?
Paul: It’s really all of the above. I tend to gravitate toward projects where the character that I’m playing is having an internal battle. Robert Robertson is definitely doing that. He’s a generational superhero by the name of Mecha Man. His father wore the suit that he’s wearing. His grandfather wore the suit. There’s a lot of pressure on him—a lot of stress. The superhero suit got damaged in a battle, and now he’s forced to do a job he simply doesn’t want to do. So there’s a lot of frustration and annoyance with him dealing with this group of misfits at this superhero dispatch center that he’s in charge of. He’s just trying to keep his shit together while trying to keep all of these “ex-villains” in line as they try to be reintroduced to society as the good guys.
io9: With Dispatch tackling these deceptively heady themes on surveillance, morality, and isolation, all wrapped up in a superhero package, did any of those resonate with you personally, with how it emphasizes the shift in the role of games as a storytelling medium in pop culture?
Paul: [Dispatch] felt like it was putting these superheroes into a real-life scenario that I really responded to and that I think is uniquely ours. I love that. And I love seeing the true frustration coming off of these particular characters. They’re all just so different, but they’re all dealing with their own day-to-day personal struggles that the gamer will see firsthand. That’s what I really responded to. If it’s not on the page, then you really don’t have much. But the story was so beautifully thought out and executed. I’m excited for people to peel off all of the layers.
io9: Obviously, the cast of Dispatch is pretty star-heavy. Did you tap any veterans for advice before stepping into the booth—folks like Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, Travis Willingham, or even gamer-creators like Alanah Pearce, Moistcr1tikal, or Jacksepticeye—to ask for pointers? Or was this an “I’ve got this in the bag. Jeffrey Wright and I know how we do things.”
Paul: (Laughs) The thing is, I didn’t really get to meet anybody, unfortunately. Laura Bailey I met at this… god, what was it? Like a big video game award…
io9: The Game Awards?
Paul: Yeah, The Game Awards. Which was the craziest awards ceremony I honestly have ever been to in my life. It was crazy. It was insane—not the people in attendance but [how many] people [were] watching. It was absolute pandemonium.
[Bailey’s] such a legend in the space. When she signed on, we were all so ecstatic. I know her work. She’s absolutely incredible. I was fortunate enough to hear her in my headphones during a lot of scenes our characters had together because it took so long for us to record. A lot of the time—not always—they’d already recorded before I [did]. I benefited from that because I got to hear how they did it.
io9: Speaking of the Game Awards, I’m sure you’ve probably heard of Hazelight Studios developer Josef Fares’ infamous quote about the Game Awards being bigger than the Oscars. With cinematic games becoming the norm, do you think voice acting in gaming has finally shed that niche status as “voice acting” and become more like “it’s acting” that’s worthy of being celebrated as the Oscars would?
Paul: Yeah, it’s all acting. The stories that are being told in games—and this has been very much the norm for a very long time. Gaming is 10 times bigger than the film industry. It’s massive. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this world.
I haven’t heard that phrase—that the Game Awards are bigger than the Oscars—but I will tell you, I didn’t know what I was walking into. I walked into just absolute chaos—controlled chaos—in a great way. I felt incredibly proud to be a part of this community.
My brother is a massive gamer. He plays games every day. That’s where his community is. He has friends scattered all over the world—as do all gamers. It’s just such a cool thing to see [and] get a peek behind that curtain. It’s really beautiful to see this community because it’s a community that lifts each other up and kinda protects each other. That’s why I love going to places like Comic-Con or the Game Awards. It’s filled with true, die-hard, passionate fans.
There’s fans outside of gaming, but gaming just takes it to such a different level. They’re just so raw [and] unapologetic [with] who they are through and through. It’s beautiful to see, and now, beautiful to be a part of.
io9: If Dispatch were adapted into a series or film, as games tend to be wont to do, would you want to reprise your role, or would you rather let the game stand as its own experience for players to enjoy?
Paul: (Laughs) Yeah, not a chance. Not a chance. No, I’m kidding. I don’t know if I have time in my life to do it. It took two years to do this one. We’ll see. I love the group. Everyone a part of [Dispatch] has been such a delight to work with. We really got to know each other. We all loved this story. At the end of it, I don’t want to give away too much, but there might be room for sure to keep this story going. I think people are going to be really invested in these characters, so we’ll see. I’m excited for people to play. I can’t wait to hear what people think.
io9: I’m excited as well. Can’t wait to play Dispatch, as my best friend, Aaron Paul, in it, obviously.
Paul: Yeah, exactly! I love you, buddy!
Dispatch releases on October 22, with weekly playable episode releases until November 12 on PlayStation 5 and Windows. You can play a free demo now.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
