Aaron Paul has been in his voice acting bag since leaving Breaking Bad, with one of his most recent being over on Prime Video’s Invincible. There, he played Powerplex, an electricity-controlling supervillain with a beef against Mark because his sister and niece died during the Invincible vs. Omni-Man fight during season one. However much you liked Paul in that role, turns out it was a one-and-done part that he won’t be reprising.
In a recent episode of the Kinda Funny podcast, the actor said he turned down an offer to come back for future seasons. His reason? It was “too grueling” on him, and he “didn’t feel comfortable” putting himself back in the animated skin of ol’ Scott Duvall. While a fan of the show and its team, he just simply “didn’t want to do it anymore. What it did to me, I didn’t like.”
Powerplex debuts in the season three episode “All I Can Say is Sorry,” where during his battle with Invincible, he accidentally kills his wife and son. It’s a downer episode that leaves Mark in a bad emotional spot, and Powerplex then appeared in the immediate follow up “What Have I Done?,” where he helped heroes kill a bunch of alt-universe Invincible variants and wanted to continue his vengeance against the prime Mark as he went off to save the day. Powerplex appears throughout the comics going forward, so we’ll be seeing more of him, and even with a new voice, he’ll likely be as dangerous as ever for Mark or anyone else crossing his path.
Invincible will return with season four in March. For those who want to hear Paul in a superheroic role that’s not a bummer, there’s always AdHoc Studio’s Dispatch, which was recently nominated at the Game Awards.
We survived another October, folks! The busiest month for big game releases is officially coming to a close as we prepare to coast into the holiday period and the backlog season that lies beyond. And yet even now there are more great games needling their way out of the wood work at every turn. Here are three new games that came out this month that you’ve probably never heard of before and the reasons why we can’t wait to go back to playing them.
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It’s been a long-time coming but Super Fantasy Kingdom is finally out in the wild in Early Access. It’s a mashup of roguelite bullet heaven RNG and careful city planning that sort of feels like if you took an old TurboGrafx-16 RPG overworld, ratcheted-up the color saturation, and turned it into tower defense game. You search for warriors to recruit, manage your resources and kingdom’s expansion, and try to keep the enemy hordes at bay. Finding the secrets to balancing expansion and defense requires a lot of trial and error and I could see it starting to get repetitive at some point if I can’t break through to some higher tiers of strategy but for my first few brief sessions it’s kept me coming back hoping to eventually unlock the right recipe for success. — Ethan Gach
The Seance of Blake Manor
Play it on: PC Current goal: Check into a spooky, isolated hotel
Traditionally here in the Weekend Guide, we sing the praises of a game we’re already playing. But I’m gonna be upfront with you: I haven’t even touched The Seance of Blake Manor yet. It came out earlier this week and I just haven’t had time. However, I’m definitely looking forward to digging into it this weekend. I’ve seen so many folks praise this game for its puzzles and atmosphere, and a spooky, supernatural mystery that puts my powers of deduction to the test sounds like just the thing to curl up with on Halloween weekend. Over in Polygon this week, Giovanni Colantonio called it “an ingenious exploration of grief, occult magic, and Irish folklore that’s bound to take over your free time.” And on Bluesky, head of Noclip and actual Irish person Danny O’Dwyer called it his “favorite game of 2025 so far” and “the best game about Irish history [he’s] ever played.”That’s high praise. So I’m off to an isolated, spooky, maybe even haunted Irish manor for the countryside. Maybe I’ll see you there, wandering the halls. – Carolyn Petit
Dispatch
Play it on: PC, PS5 Current goal: Meet the team
One nice thing about AdHoc Studios releasing Dispatch, its new management sim/superhero/adventure game, in pieces, is that I will have something to reliably fall back on for the Kotaku Weekend Guide for the next few weeks. I was a bit mixed on the first two episodes, but I can’t deny I’ve been jonesing to get back to it now that episodes three and four have dropped. Not to mention I keep narrowly avoiding spoilers on social media, so I can’t really afford to dilly dally. But where we last left off, Dispatch told me in no uncertain terms I’d be getting more face time with Robert Robertson III’s team of angry ex-villains, who I only really got to know through their radio banter in the first two episodes. So it will be nice to actually get to know them rather than making inferences based on how mean they are to me over a headset. — Kenneth Shepard
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.
Dispatch, developed 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 Dead, and 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.
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
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 AmongUs 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.
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
AdHoc Studio
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.
Koch’s Venture Capital Group, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Leads Investment to Accelerate Industry-Wide Shift Toward Automated, Intelligent Freight Decisions
NEW YORK, May 12, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Optimal Dynamics, the leader in artificial decision intelligence for trucking companies, announced a $40 million Series C financing round led by Koch Disruptive Technologies. This significant investment underscores Optimal Dynamics’ bold vision to fundamentally reshape decision-making across the trucking industry by building the first-ever autonomous decision layer of logistics.
This investment comes after KBX Logistics, a Koch company and global transportation leader, and Optimal Dynamics partnered earlier in the year. KBX Logistics’ rigorous selection process reinforced Optimal Dynamics’ platform as a key differentiator capable of driving significant operational and financial performance gains, further underscoring Optimal Dynamics’ unique capability to automate and optimize complex logistics operations at scale.
“Optimal Dynamics stands apart because it isn’t merely automating existing processes – it is redefining them,” said Byron Knight, President at Koch Disruptive Technologies. “In today’s uncertain freight environment, the clarity, efficiency, and profitability that Optimal Dynamics brings are essential. We see Optimal Dynamics as a vital platform for logistics businesses aiming to excel in the coming decade.”
Born from four decades of groundbreaking optimization research at Princeton University, Optimal Dynamics leverages advanced artificial intelligence to transform how trucking fleets and logistics providers make strategic, tactical, and real-time decisions. Optimal Dynamics delivers the industry’s only platform capable of true automation of operational planning. By reducing manual planning effort by over 80%, businesses can streamline operations, redefine roles, and focus on strategic initiatives and customer relationships. This unprecedented level of automation results in greater operational agility, increased profitability, and a decisive competitive edge.
“Optimal Dynamics is the critical decision-making engine logistics has been missing,” said Daniel Powell, CEO of Optimal Dynamics. “This investment empowers us to deliver transformative outcomes at an industry-wide scale, helping transportation companies achieve levels of decision-making efficiency previously unattainable.”
The investment comes after a year of record-breaking performance, during which Optimal Dynamics doubled both revenue and customer count while completing major infrastructure enhancements designed to support sustainable growth.
Today, industry leaders such as CRST, D.M. Bowman, Halvor Lines, KBX Logistics, Leonard’s Express, and Uber Freight use Optimal Dynamics’ platform to achieve smarter business modeling, proactive load planning, and dynamic dispatching. Through improved decisions via automation, customers have realized substantial operational improvements, including an average increase of 17%-24% in weekly revenue per truck, and elevated customer and driver satisfaction.
“This funding is a significant vote of confidence in our platform and vision,” said Scott Kenerly, CFO of Optimal Dynamics. “We’ve demonstrated real impact in trucking – solving critical, high-scale planning challenges – and are now building the foundational decision layer for logistics at large. Backing from one of the country’s largest and most respected industrial players validates both our market position today and the path ahead.”
This new capital infusion will help accelerate Optimal Dynamics’ expansion of its platform capabilities, and scale product, support, and sales teams to meet surging demand for decision automation in logistics.
About Optimal Dynamics
Optimal Dynamics provides the decision intelligence layer that powers logistics transformation. Born out of 40 years of research at Princeton University, Optimal Dynamics leverages proprietary artificial intelligence technology to automate, optimize, and radically improve decision-making across trucking and transportation operations. Headquartered in New York City, Optimal Dynamics is backed by marquee investors including Koch Disruptive Technologies, Bessemer Venture Partners, The Westly Group, and Activate Capital. Learn more at www.optimaldynamics.com.
About Koch Disruptive Technologies
Koch Disruptive Technologies is a venture capital firm, partnering with principled entrepreneurs who are building high-growth companies that have the potential to transform industries. KDT has a flexible mandate to make investments at any stage of a company’s life cycle from seed to late-stage growth. KDT is a Koch company, one of the largest privately held companies in the world with annual revenues that have exceeded $125 billion and operations in more than 50 countries. KDT helps its partners unlock their full potential by bringing Koch’s capabilities and network to them, structuring unique capital solutions, and embracing a long-term, mutual benefit mindset. For more information, visit www.koch disruptive technologies.com.
