Despite the doubts, AdHoc Studio believed in the enduring appeal of story-driven games and pushed forward. Lenart emphasizes the philosophy behind their approach: just because developers can make a large, open-world action RPG doesn’t mean that’s the game they should make. Their focus remains on crafting tight, narrative-rich experiences that resonate with players, rather than chasing trends in the market.
AdHoc Studio, founded by former Telltale developers, faced significant skepticism when trying to pitch their single-player, story-driven game Dispatch. Co-creative director Dennis Lenart explained that, at the time, publishers were wary of investing in narrative-focused games, arguing that there weren’t enough recent successes to justify funding such projects. Many viewed the genre as niche—or even “dead.”