When did Critical Role start streaming?
Critical Role started streaming in March 2015, partway through the cast's first Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The first episode aired on the 12th of March 2015 on Geek & Sundry's Twitch and YouTube channels.
Questions about Critical Role
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who is the Dungeon Master on Critical Role?
Matthew Mercer served as Dungeon Master for Critical Role's first three campaigns, all set in his fantasy world of Exandria. Brennan Lee Mulligan of Dimension 20 took over as Game Master for the fourth campaign. It premiered on the 2nd of October 2025 in a new setting.
How many episodes did each Critical Role campaign have?
Campaign one ran for 115 episodes, from the 12th of March 2015 to the 12th of October 2017. Campaign two ran for 141 episodes, ending on the 3rd of June 2021. Campaign three ran for 121 episodes, from the 21st of October 2021 to the 6th of February 2025.
What is Critical Role Productions?
Critical Role Productions LLC is the company the cast incorporated in 2015 to own the show's intellectual property. Travis Willingham serves as chief executive officer and Matthew Mercer as chief creative officer. The company also runs the Beacon streaming service and the Critical Role Foundation nonprofit.
How much money did Critical Role raise for The Legend of Vox Machina on Kickstarter?
Critical Role raised $11.3 million on Kickstarter for The Legend of Vox Machina when the campaign closed on the 19th of April 2019. That total turned a planned 22-minute animated special into a ten-episode series, later expanded by Amazon Prime Video to 24 episodes across two seasons.
What is the Mercer Effect in Critical Role?
The Mercer Effect is the belief, named for Matthew Mercer, that amateur Dungeon Masters should match the cinematic polish of his Critical Role performances. Critics including Slate's Luke Winkie have argued the comparison is unfair, since Mercer and the cast are professional performers rather than amateur hobbyists.