Ethan Crossfield 
Players interested in Dispatch’s awards run should keep watching The Game Awards 2026: AdHoc Studio’s episodic superhero game has been confirmed as eligible again, even though it was already nominated at the 2025 ceremony. The unusual situation stems from when voters were able to assess the season rather than from a new release.
What changed for Dispatch
Dispatch completed the eight-episode first season on November 12, 2025. That date placed the game ahead of The Game Awards’ November 21 eligibility cutoff for the 2025 event, and it received a Best Debut Indie Game nomination that year. However, the show’s voting timeline created a complication. There was no press early access, and nominations were considered before the full season had launched. According to AdHoc Studio, judges had experienced only around half of Dispatch when the 2025 ballot was being evaluated. Polygon reported that the studio received confirmation from Geoff Keighley that Dispatch remains eligible for the 2026 awards.
Who is affected by the eligibility ruling
The decision gives Dispatch a rare opportunity to be considered at The Game Awards in two consecutive years. Eligibility does not guarantee another nomination, but it allows the completed season to enter the 2026 conversation after voters had limited access to it during the previous cycle. The Game Awards’ annual cutoff can already push late releases into a later awards season, particularly for titles arriving after the November window. Dispatch is different because it was technically eligible and nominated in 2025, while its full experience was not available in time for judges to evaluate the entire season.
What to watch before The Game Awards 2026
The Game Awards is scheduled for December 10, 2026, and Dispatch could now return to the show if it earns a nomination. Its broader awards record suggests that other voting groups had more time to assess the complete season. Dispatch received six DICE Awards nominations, including Game of the Year, plus three Game Developers Choice Awards nominations. It also won three BAFTA Games Awards and was nominated there for Best Game. Those results do not determine The Game Awards outcome, but they show how a complete-season evaluation changed Dispatch’s standing across the awards circuit.
What players should know
- Dispatch released all eight episodes of its first season by November 12, 2025.
- It was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2025.
- AdHoc Studio said judges had played roughly half of the season when 2025 nominations were considered.
- The game is confirmed as eligible for The Game Awards 2026, but it still needs a new nomination to appear at the ceremony.
- The Game Awards 2026 is scheduled for December 10.
Expert View
Dispatch’s repeat eligibility is a sensible response to an episodic game reaching voters in stages, but it also highlights a weakness in tightly timed awards voting. A second nomination would not be automatic or unfair on its own; the key question is whether the 2026 ballot treats the finished season as a substantially fuller work than the version judges could access in 2025.
