SPOILER WARNING: This article will discuss plot points in Dispatch Episodes 1-8. If you haven’t caught up yet, do proceed with caution.
Robert finally gains the upper hand against Shroud in Dispatch Episode 8. But this victory leads to a moral crossroads: Should Robert kill Shroud or let him live? Read on to learn more about the immediate and long-term consequences of both choices.
Should You Spare or Kill Shroud?
Choose to "Kill the Queen" or the "Good Guy Answer"
Shroud has been nothing but a constant thorn in Robert’s side since the beginning of Dispatch. He’s the big bad of the entire season, the leader of the Red Ring syndicate and the main reason Z-Team has been through hell. He’s the one who destroyed Robert’s Mecha Man suit, the one responsible for Chase ending up in the hospital at the end of Episode 6, and perhaps worst of all, the man who killed Robert’s father. During their fight in Episode 7, Shroud even mocks Robert by describing in detail how he did it—shooting his father in the shoulder, the chest, heart, and finally the head. But as revealed in the tie-in comic The Death of Mecha Man, that wasn’t how it actually happened. The truth was far less dramatic: Shroud just caught him off guard. Still, for Robert, it doesn’t make the pain or hatred any less real.
What makes this whole situation more complicated is that Shroud’s anger doesn’t come out of nowhere. His rage toward Robert’s father and the Brave Brigade has roots that, while not justifiable, at least make sense. In his eyes, Robert’s father wasn’t a hero at all—not like Blonde Blazer, whom he still calls "one of the last true heroes." Instead, he saw him as a selfish, power-hungry man who only cared about his own image.
Shroud is a man with a brilliant mind who created the Astral Pulse and thought that invention would earn him a spot in the Brigade. Little did he know that Robert’s father strung him along, repeatedly delaying the meeting that would make it official, until Shroud realized he’d just been used. Betrayed and humiliated, he vowed to steal back his Astral Pulse and went on a revenge spree that carried through the entire season.
For Robert, though, there’s no sympathy left. Everything Shroud’s done all pile up into something that feels beyond redemption. The idea of killing him first comes up back in Episode 5. Chase asks Robert directly if he’d do it, if he’d actually kill Shroud when the time comes. You can answer "yes," showing how far you’re willing to go for vengeance, or say "heroes don’t kill people," to which Chase agrees, calling it "the good guy answer." However, it’s clear that the question isn’t really settled. It merely foreshadows the decision you’ll have to make at the end of Episode 8.
During the final confrontation, Shroud manages to get his hands on Beef, Robert’s dog, threatening to kill him unless Robert hands over the Astral Pulse. Cornered, Robert reluctantly agrees, even attempting to outsmart him by swapping the real Pulse with the prototype. But Shroud, being as smart as he is, sees through the trick before it even begins. The player can then choose to hand over the real Pulse, the prototype, or both. The first two options end with Shroud obtaining the genuine article anyway; giving both, however, throws him off. He takes a random guess, inserts one, and tosses the other, but it backfires and leaves him and his goons reeling and sick.
Despite that, Shroud recovers long enough to grab his gun and fire at Robert. But before the shot lands, Invisigal jumps in the way and takes the bullet in her shoulder. Robert snaps. Overcome with rage, he beats Shroud senseless and leaves him bloodied and broken on the ground. After everything that’s happened, the game gives Robert the choice to spare or kill Shroud. Dispatch doesn’t tell you which one is right. Either choice feels believable for who Robert has become. It’s a fitting end to a season built on hard decisions and moral gray areas, one that leaves you wondering what kind of hero, or person, Robert will be if we ever see him again in a second season.
If You Spare Shroud…
If you choose to spare Shroud, Robert manages to keep his anger in check. He walks away, rushes to Invisigal’s side, and watches the sun rise after a long night of saving Los Angeles. The words "Everyone will remember that" pop up on the top-left corner of the screen. The game then moves to the aftermath, where we see how the team—and the city—tries to move forward from everything that happened.
To be honest, there isn’t a huge difference that comes from this choice right away. A reporter briefly mentions that Shroud was "captured by not a superhero, but an SDN Dispatcher," but that’s about as far as it goes. What’s more noticeable is how Z-Team finally feels whole. They’re more of a family now, the complete opposite of what Robert saw back in Episode 2, when even basic trust was hard to come by.
Depending, too, on who you chose to romance, Robert either shares a kiss with Blonde Blazer or Invisigal. If you stayed single, he just cracks open a beer, taking their victory all in. Either way, this ending is deemed by many as the "good ending." Depending on your choices throughout the episode—like forgiving Coupé/Sonar and inviting them back—you’ll see even more people celebrating, which makes it feel like all your decisions really added up to something.
However, the real question now is what comes next. During an interview with SkillUp’s The Friends Per Second podcast, AdHoc Studios’ co-founders Pierre Shorette and Nick Herman mentioned that the game’s success has made them "at least think about season two." That’s not an official confirmation, but with how Season 1 wraps up, it’s hard not to sense something brewing. That cheeky "X will remember that" line showing up again even after the game’s final moments feels like a hint that Robert’s story—and Shroud’s—isn’t over yet.
Sparing Shroud doesn’t mean he's done. We know he gets thrown in jail alongside his goons, his augmentations damaged but not gone. He’s still smart, still dangerous, still definitely not the type to sit quietly behind bars. For all his arrogance, he’s always been three steps ahead of everyone, and it’s hard to believe that’ll change now. Plus, with Matthew Mercer voicing him, it’d be a shame if this was the last we heard from Shroud. Whether he escapes, schemes, or finds a new purpose, Shroud feels like unfinished business, and I’d bet we haven’t seen the last of hiim.
If You Choose to Kill Shroud…
If Robert chooses to kill Shroud, the scene turns ugly fast. Robert pins him down and chokes him to death as Shroud desperately struggles to break free. The words "Everyone will remember that" appear on screen, and the game transitions to the usual ending sequence: Robert and Invisigal watching the sun rise after a long night, before Invisigal collapses from her injuries.
Not much changes immediately after this decision. The reporter on TV mentions that an SDN Dispatcher killed Shroud, and while Chase was the one who once talked about heroes not killing, even he admits that "the b*tch Shroud deserved what he got."
Blonde Blazer, on the other hand, calls out the consequences of Robert’s choice. She says he’s being "suspended pending investigation," though she assures him that it’s "just a formality." Even so, she does ask if killing Shroud made him feel any better. The player can agree, disagree, or simply say, "I dunno." Whatever the answer, the game reminds you that "Blonde Blazer will remember that," hinting that this moment could define what kind of person Robert has become.
Robert has been chasing this revenge for so long. Shroud was the one who destroyed his Mecha Man suit, who nearly killed Chase, and who murdered his father. That vengeance has been burning in him since Episode 1, and it’s what got him ambushed and nearly killed in the first place. So when he finally gets it, the question becomes: what’s left for him now? Was it worth it? The game doesn’t give a clear answer. After all that anger and loss, maybe the only honest response really is, "I dunno."
Beyond that, the rest of the ending plays out similarly to the "spare" route. You still get your closing moment with the person you romanced, or a drink if you didn’t. You can still choose to forgive or forget Coupé/Sonar.
But narratively, this choice leaves a more complicated space for a potential second season. With no main villain left, where does the story go from here? If AdHoc Studio does decide to make a Season 2, it’ll be interesting to see how they handle two different endings. Maybe they’ll minimize the differences, like Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Life is Strange did, and just move forward with a new story. Or maybe, for once, they’ll really build on this choice and show us what happens when a hero finally crosses the line.
Invisigal Kills Shroud
It’s also possible to reach the finale without even getting the choice to spare or kill Shroud, and that depends entirely on how Robert has treated Invisigal throughout the season. If he’s been a poor mentor, refusing to trust her or making her feel like being a villain is her only option, she takes matters into her own hands. As Shroud stands before Robert, gun in hand or not, depending on if he inserted the real Astral Pulse or the prototype, Invisigal appears next to him. Shroud orders her to attack Robert, but instead she stabs Shroud in the throat with her knife. This takes everyone aback. She grabs his mask, a hint, perhaps, that she may embrace a more villainous path in a potential second season, winks at Robert, tosses him the Astral Pulse, and disappears into invisibility.
The aftermath plays out similarly to the other endings. Z-Team celebrates, though Invisigal’s actions leave a noticeable impact. The reporter notes that a former SDN employee carried out the deed, and Chase still insists that Shroud deserved it. Robert and Blonde Blazer are left to wonder what she’ll do next—whether she’s truly gone rogue or if there’s a chance she might return to the team in some form.
What makes this version of events so interesting is how it shows the long-term consequences of Robert’s earlier choices. Every decision he makes as her mentor directly influences the path she takes. Invisigal has been one of the most human and compelling characters in Dispatch. Unlike other routes, where she can step up as a hero and take a bullet for Robert, this one puts her in a darker, more unpredictable direction next season.
What This Could Mean for Season 2?
Right now, we still don’t know if there will even be a second season of Dispatch. But with so many loose ends left dangling, and the repeated "X will remember that" messages hinting at consequences, there’s clearly a lot of story still to explore. AdHoc Studio has really captured lightning in a bottle here, much like Telltale Games did with The Walking Dead during the zombie craze of the early 2010s. They’ve built a world and a cast of characters that people care about, and if they play their cards right, there’s room to expand the franchise without falling into the same traps that hurt Telltale.
What might happen next is anyone’s guess. Will Shroud, alive, somehow return? Could Invisigal fully embrace a villainous path and become the new antagonist? Or will we be introduced to entirely new threats? The story possibilities are wide open. The partnership with Critical Role also makes it likely we’ll see Dispatch expand beyond the game itself. A tabletop campaign, an animated series, or other forms of media could explore these characters and their world in ways the game didn’t.
Even without confirmation of a second season, there’s a lot to be excited about. Fans are already speculating, creating theories, and imagining what comes next for Robert, Blonde Blazer, and the rest of Z-Team. Dispatch has built a strong foundation, and whether it continues as a game or grows into something else entirely, people will be eager to see where it goes from here.
