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— CH. 1 · FOUNDING AND EARLY YEARS —

Critical Role Productions

~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
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  • The year 2015 marked the beginning of a new era for tabletop role-playing games when eight actors formed Critical Role Productions. They had been playing Dungeons and Dragons together in private since 2012 before Felicia Day approached them about live-streaming their game on Geek & Sundry. The group converted their characters from Pathfinder to Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition to streamline mechanics for the web series that began airing on the 12th of March 2015. Their first show became an immediate success while their second show Talks Machina premiered on Geek & Sundry and Alpha in 2016. By June 2018 the company launched its own Twitch and YouTube channels with cast member Marisha Ray serving as creative director. The sets moved from Legendary Digital Network studios to Critical Role's own studios in July 2018. Eight founders who were cast members held equity stakes in the company. Travis Willingham served as Chief Executive Officer starting in 2019 while Matthew Mercer took the role of Chief Creative Officer.

  • February 2019 brought a complete split between Critical Role Productions and Legendary Digital Networks. This disengagement led to the cancellation of Talks Machina After Dark which had been exclusive to the Alpha streaming service. Some legacy episodes including the entire first campaign remained available in Geek & Sundry archives on YouTube and Twitch. Starting in December 2019 older content migrated from Geek & Sundry to Critical Role channels. On the 4th of March 2019 the group launched a Kickstarter campaign raising $11.3 million for an animated special that closed on the 19th of April 2019. That total made it one of the fastest-funded projects in Kickstarter history at the time. Amazon Prime Video acquired streaming rights to The Legend of Vox Machina in November 2019 and commissioned fourteen additional episodes. The project originally slated for late 2020 was delayed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2019 they negotiated licensing agreements with Funko McFarlane Toys Penguin Random House and Ripple Junction to produce merchandise. A sponsored one-shot using Wendy's Feast of Legends RPG system aired on October 3 but faced negative fan response before profits were donated.

  • October 2020 saw Darrington Press announced as a new board and card game publishing imprint by Critical Role. June 2022 brought the launch of Scanlan Shorthalt Music releasing their first album Welcome to Tal'Dorei under Ray and Senior Producer Maxwell James leadership. January 2023 marked when Critical Role signed a multi-year deal granting Sirius XM worldwide ad sales for their podcast. March 2023 revealed Metapigeon had purchased space-western science fiction podcast Midst marking the first acquisition of external intellectual property. July 2025 showed that a video game set in Exandria entered early development through partnership with AdHoc Studio. August 2025 announced Brennan Lee Mulligan would take over as Game Master from Matthew Mercer for the fourth campaign premiering the 2nd of October 2025. The company also developed Tales of Kenzera Zau by Surgent Studios starting December 2023. In May 2024 they launched Beacon subscription streaming service allowing them to maintain creative control while reducing reliance on third-party platforms. By March 2025 CNBC highlighted the company created more than 2,500 hours of original content across thirty original shows.

  • A Twitch data leak in October 2021 revealed Critical Role received $9,626,712 between September 2019 and September 2021 from subscriptions and ad revenue. Variety reported the company expanded to approximately forty employees without receiving outside funding. January 2021 saw the channel amass 220 million views across its platform with 44,000 paid subscribers on Twitch during that month. Before the third campaign premiere in October 2021 Business Insider reported their official Twitch channel had 828,000 followers and 13,530 active subscribers. Their YouTube channel held 1.4 million subscribers at that time. Each episode averaged 60 to 75,000 live viewers according to October 2021 Variety reporting. Total per-episode viewership could range from 1.2 million to 1.5 million when factoring in on-demand plays. In May 2024 Beacon launched as a subscription video-on-demand service offering exclusive programming plus standard benefits like merchandise discounts and presale access to event tickets. Christian Hoffer of ComicBook.com noted an immediate drop in Twitch subscribers by roughly 20% following Beacon launch reflecting migration to the new platform.

  • the 23rd of May 2019 featured a special one-on-one adventure with Stephen Colbert for Red Nose Day raising $117,176.20 for charity. Matthew Mercer served as Dungeon Master while Colbert played half-elf bard named Capo accompanied by bee Eric. September 2020 brought establishment of Critical Role Foundation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Ashley Johnson named president. The foundation committed 85% of donation funds to partner non-profits allocating 10% to emergency fund and 5% to administrative fees. Since streaming began in 2015 the community donated over half a million dollars to causes including 826LA Red Nose Day OSD Pablove and OutRight International. In 2022 the foundation won two Shorty Impact Awards for Best Fundraising Campaign and Best Influencer Celebrity Partnership. Their Red Nose Day campaign titled Choose Stephen's Adventure Again raised over $423,000 representing 252% increase from 2019 efforts. The emergency fund allows donations during natural disasters or unforeseen events requiring immediate humanitarian assistance.

  • the 5th of January 2023 saw io9 receive leaked copy of Open Game License 1.1 which would revoke original OGL allowing wide range unofficial commercial derivative work since 2000. Critical Role official statement made no mention of OGL while speaking support of tabletop game community. ICv2 speculated company needed walk fine line between not criticizing biggest sponsor WotC/D&D Beyond while quelling fan base simmering outrage. Christian Hoffer speculated Critical Role could be under contract using fifth edition system for remainder of third campaign with non-disparity clauses preventing criticism of Hasbro products. Ray stated importance having environment allowing creators independent big small create new things regardless outcome. Mercer called draft OGL1.2 separating some Dungeons and Dragons content into Creative Commons license grandiose step in grandiose direction. Academic Emily Friedman highlighted Critical Role was only entity able recover episodes from Geek & Sundry while all other shows remained owned by Legendary. Rowan Zeoli noted team treated experimental production as legitimate business early on praising pre-emptive legal protections. Jan Švelch wrote analysis showed complexity mediatization process where physical digital gaming producers saw show effective advertising channel making outlier space actual play where merchandising product licensing considered negligible revenue source.

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Common questions

When did Critical Role Productions begin live-streaming their Dungeons and Dragons game?

Critical Role Productions began live-streaming their game on the 12th of March 2015. The group had been playing together in private since 2012 before Felicia Day approached them about broadcasting online.

Who serves as Chief Executive Officer for Critical Role Productions?

Travis Willingham served as Chief Executive Officer starting in 2019 while Matthew Mercer took the role of Chief Creative Officer. Eight founders who were cast members held equity stakes in the company when it launched its own channels by June 2018.

How much money did Critical Role raise during their Kickstarter campaign in 2019?

The group launched a Kickstarter campaign on the 4th of March 2019 raising $11.3 million that closed on the 19th of April 2019. That total made it one of the fastest-funded projects in Kickstarter history at the time.

What percentage of donation funds does the Critical Role Foundation allocate to partner non-profits?

The Critical Role Foundation committed 85% of donation funds to partner non-profits allocating 10% to emergency fund and 5% to administrative fees. Ashley Johnson was named president when the organization established itself in September 2020.

When will Brennan Lee Mulligan take over as Game Master for the fourth campaign?

Brennan Lee Mulligan would take over as Game Master from Matthew Mercer for the fourth campaign premiering the 2nd of October 2025. The announcement regarding this leadership change came in August 2025.

See all questions about Critical Role Productions →

All sources

227 references cited across the entry

  1. 1news'Critical Role' Goes SoloNicole Bunge — June 18, 2018
  2. 2webCRITICAL ROLE PRODUCTIONS, LLCOpenCorporates
  3. 3webInside Critical Role: The Live D&D show led by voices you might recognizeZack Furniss — 2016-02-26
  4. 4newsWith Critical Role, Geek & Sundry Score A Hit By Bringing Friends Together For D&DRuss Burlingame — September 29, 2016
  5. 5newsHow Popular Voice Actors Took A D&D Game Global With Critical RoleBrian Shea — December 22, 2016
  6. 6news'Critical Role' Is About To Throw A Nat 100 On EpisodesGavin Sheehan — June 8, 2017
  7. 7webTravis Willingham, Marisha Ray, and Matthew Mercer: "Critical Role" Talks at GoogleGoogle — December 17, 2018
  8. 8bookDread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern FantasticCurtis D. Carbonell — Oxford University Press — 2019
  9. 9webTwitch D&D Show 'Critical Role' Is Helping Fuel The Game's Renaissance2017-06-09
  10. 10webPresenting Talks Machina2016-11-07
  11. 11newsCritical Role Teases New Content With Opening of New Studio, Twitch and Youtube ChannelChristian Hoffer — June 18, 2018
  12. 12webThey started out playing Dungeons & Dragons. Now they're coming to Amazon PrimeJevon Phillips — 2019-11-06
  13. 13webHow Critical Role helped spark a Dungeons & Dragons renaissanceSarah Whitten — 2020-03-14
  14. 14webCritical Role separates from Geek & Sundry to create new shows2018-06-19
  15. 15webInside Critical Role's Growing D&D Fantasy Empire and the Making of 'The Legend of Vox Machina' for AmazonTodd Spangler — October 14, 2021
  16. 16webCritical RoleThe Webby Awards
  17. 17newsWatch ECCC: Critical Role cast talks about the animated series and reads a new sceneMarch 17, 2019
  18. 18webAlpha UpdateEd Lopez — October 27, 2016
  19. 19webRachel Romero Critical RoleMarch 28, 2018
  20. 20webBen Van Der FluitMarch 27, 2018
  21. 21webCritical Role and Talks Machina broadcast updatesRachel Romero — Critical Role — February 19, 2019
  22. 22webD&D Streaming Series Critical Role Leaves Geek & Sundry, Moves to Its Own ChannelJeremy Thomas — February 19, 2019
  23. 23webEnd of 2019 Fireside ChatTravis Willingham — Critical Role — December 20, 2019
  24. 24webCritical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Animated Special
  25. 25newsCritical Role fans finance Dungeons & Dragons Kickstarter in an hourSarah Whitten — CNBC — March 4, 2019
  26. 26webUpdate #16: THANK YOU.April 19, 2019
  27. 27webAmazon Orders Two Seasons of Critical Role's Animated D&D SeriesTodd Spangler — November 5, 2019
  28. 28newsCritical Role Expands 'Vox Machina' Animated D&D Special to 88 Minutes, Tops $4.3 Million Raised in One DayTodd Spangler — March 5, 2019
  29. 29newsUpdate: Critical Role Kickstarter Breaks Record, Reveals Episode PlansJonathon Dornbush — March 7, 2019
  30. 30newsCritical Role Confirms Animated Series Delayed Due to COVID-19Christian Hoffer — comicbook.com
  31. 31magazine'The Legend of Vox Machina' sets earlier premiere date with new clipNick Romano — December 20, 2021
  32. 32webCritical Role Is Getting Funko Pop!, Action Figures, and MoreSeptember 27, 2019
  33. 33webCritical Role appoints Collaborations LicensingSeptember 28, 2019
  34. 34webWendy's new role-playing game lets players (and their dice) defend 'Freshtovia' from frozen beefI-Hsien Sherwood — 2019-10-04
  35. 35webRPG: Critical Role Faces Backlash After Wendy's RPG One Shot2019-10-09
  36. 36bookThe Routledge Handbook of Remix Studies and Digital Humanities2021
  37. 37newsWendy's expands its focus beyond foodEvan Williamson — October 14, 2019
  38. 38newsCritical Role officially denies any wrongdoing with a consultantAndrew Girdwood — July 7, 2020
  39. 39bookWatch Us Roll: Essays on Actual Play and Performance in Tabletop Role-Playing GamesShelly Jones — 2021
  40. 40citationState of the Role: Critical Role Return Updates25 June 2020
  41. 41webCritical Role Announces New Board Game Publishing Label, Darrington Press; 4 Games Planned for 2021Jonathon Dornbush — October 27, 2020
  42. 42webLong-Time Critical Role Cast Member LeavesAugust 16, 2021
  43. 43webHYPE: Celebrate Critical Role's 7-Year Anniversary With an Entire Week of Fun! Critical Role2022-03-14
  44. 44newsTwitch confirms massive data breach2021-10-06
  45. 45newsMassive Twitch hack reveals streamers' pay, with top stars making millionsNathan Grayson — October 6, 2021
  46. 46webCriticalRole, xQc, summit1g, and Tfue among the highest earners on Twitch, according to leakLeonardo Biazzi — 2021-10-06
  47. 47newsTwitch hacker leaks entire source code and streamers' incomes for the past three yearsOctober 6, 2021
  48. 48webA Twitch channel known for 'Dungeons and Dragons' earned over $9 million in the last 2 years, the highest payout listed in the data leakMichael Espinosa — October 9, 2021
  49. 49webCritical Role Launches New Record Label, First Album Out NowJune 21, 2022
  50. 50webCritical Role Inks Exclusive Podcast Advertising, Distribution Deal With SiriusXM (EXCLUSIVE)Todd Spangler — 2022-04-14
  51. 51webAmazon Inks Critical Role to Overall TV and First-Look Film Deal, Greenlights 'Mighty Nein' Animated SeriesTodd Spangler — 2023-01-25
  52. 52webCritical Role Makes First Entertainment Acquisition, Buying Sci-Fi Podcast 'Midst' From Its Three Anonymous FoundersTodd Spangler — March 29, 2023
  53. 53webCritical Role Removes Hundreds of Videos from YouTubeEric Law — July 10, 2023
  54. 54webActors' strike will likely have no impact on your favorite actual play seriesCharlie Hall — 2023-07-14
  55. 55webCritical Role Releases Statement on Actors' StrikeChristian Hoffer — July 14, 2023
  56. 56webTales of Kenzera: Zau explores grief through 2.5-D actionJordan Fragen — 2023-12-08
  57. 57webTales Of Kenzera: Zau's Tabletop Inspirations And Rhythmic Combat Are Making Me ExcitedJordan Ramée — February 1, 2024
  58. 58webCritical Role Announces Daggerheart Open Beta PlaytestChristian Hoffer — February 28, 2024
  59. 59webCritical Role's Daggerheart Announces Open Beta Playtesting DateAndrew Stretch — 2024-02-28
  60. 60webCritical Role returns to its fast and loose livestream roots to promote its Hasbro-killer board game empireCheryl Teh — May 15, 2024
  61. 61journalCritical Role: https://critrole.com/Hayley McCullough — 2024-07-02
  62. 62newsAs D&D booms, 'Critical Role' makes its own kind of nerd celebritySarah Parvini — May 9, 2024
  63. 63magazine10 Years of 'Critical Role': 'We Are Never Going Away'James Grebey — June 13, 2025
  64. 64webCritical Role to Start Development on Their First Video Game in Partnership With AdHoc Studio (EXCLUSIVE)Todd Spangler — July 21, 2025
  65. 65webCritical Role Sets Brennan Lee Mulligan as Game Master for Next Core Campaign as He Signs New Three-Year Deal With Dropout (EXCLUSIVE)Jennifer Maas — August 2, 2025
  66. 66magazineCritical Role Announces Their Next Campaign With New Game Master Brennan Lee MulliganChristopher Cruz — August 2, 2025
  67. 67newsYou gotta roll with it: How livestreaming made Dungeons and Dragons coolEd Power — January 17, 2021
  68. 68webLegendary Is Shutting Down Alpha Streaming Service From Nerdist, Geek & SundryTodd Spangler — 2019-03-02
  69. 69webCritical Role is expanding its nerd empire. One longtime partner is about to be left in the dust.Cheryl Teh — May 9, 2024
  70. 70webCritical Role Celebrates Their 100th Episode Tonight!Geek & Sundry — June 8, 2017
  71. 71newsCritical Role rolls on to 100 episodes of live-action D&DLuke Lancaster — June 8, 2017
  72. 72newsCritical Role's 100th Episode Tonight Is A Milestone For D&DTodd Kenreck — June 8, 2017
  73. 73webVox Machina EP. 115 - The Chapter ClosesGeek & Sundry — January 8, 2018
  74. 74newsHere's Where You Can Watch and Listen to Critical Role's New CampaignGeek & Sundry — January 10, 2018
  75. 75webTalks MachinaCritical Role
  76. 76webCritical Role launches its own subscription service, BeaconMichael McWhertor — May 9, 2024
  77. 77webCritical Role Launches Paid Streaming Platform Called BeaconChristian Hoffer — May 9, 2024
  78. 78episodeCritical Role Fans ABANDON Twitch?! The Great Beacon Migration!Christian Hoffer — ComicBook.com — May 13, 2024
  79. 79webCritical Role Taps Hallmark Media Alum Alyssa Zeisler as General Manager of Streamer Beacon (EXCLUSIVE)Jennifer Maas — 2026-02-24
  80. 80webThe Best Magical Items Critical Role Characters Used, RankedIsaac Williams — October 13, 2023
  81. 81bookExplorer's Guide to WildemountMatthew Mercer — Wizards of the Coast — 2020
  82. 82webStarting today, Critical Role and Talks Machina will now air on both Twitch AND YouTube! Twitch will still be the BEST place to engage with our community with a moderated live chat and immediate access to VODS for Twitch subscribers. The VODs for both Critical Role and Talks Machina will continue to be uploaded to YouTube following their regular schedule, which is Mondays at 12pm Pacific for Critical Role and Thursdays at 12pm Pacific for Talks Machina. <3Critical Role — January 21, 2021
  83. 83tweet⚔️ NEW WAYS TO ADVENTURE 📺 You can now become a member on our YouTube channel! Join us for moderated live chat, emojis, and badges, plus instant VOD access after streams on YouTube. Let our own @marisha_ray fill you in with the details! ✨ Join ➡️ URL VideoCritical Role — February 28, 2024
  84. 84webWIRE Buzz: Critical Role is back, Vagrant Queen canceled & The Beach House terrifies in new trailerVanessa Armstrong et al. — 2020-06-26
  85. 85webCritical Role Sets Campaign 3 Premiere Date, Will Simulcast First Episode in Cinemark TheatersTodd Spangler — 2021-09-30
  86. 86webWhere to watch Critical Role's 8-and-a-half-hour finalePetrana Radulovic — 2025-02-06
  87. 87episodeDrawing BeauNovember 28, 2018
  88. 88episodeMAME DropDecember 7, 2018
  89. 89newsThe Black Nerds Redefining the CultureAdam Bradley — 2021-03-24
  90. 90newsThanks to the abridged version of actual-play RPG series Critical Role, I might make it through a whole campaign for onceJody Macgregor — June 24, 2024
  91. 91webCritical Role Announces New Streaming Service, Premium Shows, and MoreEric Law — May 9, 2024
  92. 92webCampaign 3 Details & BIG CRITICAL NEWS!Tales from the Stinky Dragon — September 10, 2024
  93. 93webUNEND Season 2 Premieres June 4th!May 28, 2025
  94. 94webProgramming Schedule: Week of October 13th, 2025October 13, 2025
  95. 95webUNEND Season 3 Premieres April 8th!March 25, 2026
  96. 96webCritical Role's newest live play shows it hasn't forgotten DaggerheartAimee Hart — January 7, 2026
  97. 97webWatch CRITICAL ROLE and VIVA LA DIRT LEAGUE's Hilarious DAGGERHEART AZERIM Series TrailerTai Gooden — January 5, 2026
  98. 98tweetSPILL THE TEA WITH US NEXT TUESDAY 🫖 ✨ Our all-new, live talk-back show, Tale Gate, begins this January 20th! Join our wondrous host, Whitney Moore, with our Soldiers Table adventurers as they chat all things Campaign 4, take Critter questions from our Beacon Discord in an exclusive Night Cap segment, and more, LIVE on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch next week! Announcement videoCritical Role — January 16, 2026
  99. 99webCritical Role Announces New “Draw Your Weapons” Actual Play Series With a Unique Twist (Exclusive)Amanda Kay Oaks — February 19, 2026
  100. 100webCritical Role Announces Exandria Unlimited2021-06-10
  101. 101webCritical Role's next campaign launches this month with a new Dungeon MasterChris King — 2021-06-10
  102. 102webCritical Role's next show is Exandria Unlimited2021-06-10
  103. 103webCritical Role Stars Lift the Lid on Their New Show, Exandria Unlimited2021-06-10
  104. 104webCritical Role Announces Two New Shows In Latest VideoGavin Sheehan — 2022-03-14
  105. 105webCritical Role and Dimension 20 are crossing the streams for a new actual play seriesCharlie Hall — 2022-05-13
  106. 106webHYPE! Exandria Unlimited: Calamity Premieres Thursday, May 26th!2022-05-12
  107. 107webAll Cast and Characters in Exandria Unlimited: DivergenceTara McCauley — February 18, 2025
  108. 108webState of the Role: Campaign 3 Finale and What's Next for 2025!January 30, 2025
  109. 109webTwo seasons of the Critical Role animated series coming to Amazon PrimePetrana Radulovic — 2019-11-05
  110. 110webCritical Role animated series will premiere earlier than expectedCharlie Hall — 2021-12-20
  111. 111web'Legend of Vox Machina' Renewed for Season 3 at AmazonJoe Otterson — October 7, 2022
  112. 112webLegend of Vox Machina season 2 and season 3 plans revealed at NYCCCaroline Cao — October 7, 2022
  113. 113web'Legend of Vox Machina' Season 2 Trailer: Critical Role's Chroma Conclave Comes to LifeJordan Moreau — December 15, 2022
  114. 114webThe Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 Release Date, Title Sequence Revealed (Exclusive) - IGN LiveAlex Stedman — 2024-06-07
  115. 115web'Legend of Vox Machina' Renewed for Season 4 at AmazonJoe Otterson — October 23, 2024
  116. 116web'The Legend of Vox Machina' Renewed for Fifth and Final Season, 'The Mighty Nein' Sets November Release DateJordan Moreau — July 24, 2025
  117. 117webCritical Role Teases a Spooky New Game—and a New System, TooLinda Codega — May 9, 2023
  118. 118newsCritical Role Announces Candela Obscura, New Ongoing TTRPG Series and GameChristian Hoffer — May 9, 2023
  119. 119webCritical Role Announces Horror Series Candela Obscura, First To Use Illuminated Worlds SystemAndrew Stretch — May 9, 2023
  120. 120webCritical Role presents Candela Obscura!July 22, 2023
  121. 121episodeFireside Chat LIVE with Marisha RayJune 24, 2024
  122. 122webCritical Role Launches New PodcastChristian Hoffer — May 11, 2024
  123. 123webProgramming Schedule: Week of May 20th, 2024May 20, 2024
  124. 124webProgramming Schedule: Week of August 19th, 2024August 19, 2024
  125. 125webCritical Role Announces Fall Programming, Including New MIDST Series, Return of 'Tales From The Stinky Dragon', And Behind-The-Scenes FeaturesSeptember 10, 2024
  126. 126webHYPE: Our Fall 2024 Programming Lineup!September 10, 2024
  127. 127webProgramming Schedule: Week of March 3rd, 2025March 3, 2025
  128. 128webNew Daggerheart Miniseries Announced, Featuring the Age of Umbra Campaign Frame TechRaptorTyler Chancey — 2025-02-12
  129. 129webThe Critical Role cast tease body piercing, edging, and more for their darkest campaign yet: Age of Umbra2025-04-17
  130. 130webHYPE: Age of Umbra, a new Daggerheart mini-series, coming May 29th!Darcy Ross — May 12, 2025
  131. 131webCritical Role's Matt Mercer gave us the dark and dour deets on his Daggerheart campaign2024-12-07
  132. 132webCritical Role announces new miniseries for Daggerheart, its custom D&D competitorJazz Stewart — May 12, 2025
  133. 133press releaseBreaking Daggerheart News from Gen Con!Darrington Press — July 31, 2025
  134. 134webCritical Role's Mighty Nein Heads to Prime Video2023-01-25
  135. 135newsLiam O'Brien Teases A Different Kind Of Story With Mighty Nein SeriesCaitlin Tyrrell — March 4, 2023
  136. 136newsMighty Nein Animated Series, Based on Critical Role, Gets Big UpdateChristian Hoffer — June 8, 2024
  137. 137magazineCritical Role's New Animated D&D Series Gets Fall Release Date, Teases Sexy TieflingsChristopher Cruz — July 24, 2025
  138. 138web'Weird Kids': Critical Role's Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe Recount Their Bizarre Lives as Child Actors in New ShowTodd Spangler — March 4, 2025
  139. 139av mediaFull Episodes Coming SoonWeird Kids — March 16, 2026
  140. 140webCritical Role founders get weird with the return of their best side projectAimee Hart — April 16, 2026
  141. 141webCritical Role Announces Two New ShowsMarch 14, 2022
  142. 142webCritical Role announces two new series to celebrate its 7th anniversaryPetrana Radulovic — 2022-03-14
  143. 143webCritical Role's new talk show has a problem2022-05-26
  144. 144tweetThis is the final 4SD of Campaign 3 friends! Thank you all for joining us in the Tavern each month, join us tonight as we close out the year with one last round of drinks for Bells Hells🍻💕Critical Role — December 17, 2024
  145. 145webAll Work No Play: Hot Tub Spectacular (S1, EP8)November 18, 2018
  146. 146webImportant Broadcast Update (March 2020)Rachel Romero — March 17, 2020
  147. 147webCritical Role Ends Live Broadcasts Due to CoronavirusMarch 17, 2020
  148. 148webCritical Role Pushed To New Path For Its Pandemic ProgrammingDavid Bloom
  149. 149webYouTube, Late-Night & More: In Praise of Lo-Fi TelevisionAndy Wilson — July 30, 2020
  150. 150webHYPE: Fall Programming ScheduleRachel Romero — September 25, 2019
  151. 151webExclusive: Critical Role's Brian W. Foster on the debut of their new show, Between the SheetsLisa Granshaw — 2018-09-19
  152. 152webBetween the Sheets
  153. 153web"Critical Role" Suspends Their Broadcasts Due To CoronavirusGavin Sheehan — March 17, 2020
  154. 154webCritical Role Launches New Monthly ShowChristian Hoffer — May 4, 2020
  155. 155webThe First Episode of Critical Role's New Show, Critter Hug, Is Now LiveMay 5, 2020
  156. 156webCritical Recap: Campaign 2, Episodes 1 - 10 -- The Story So FarDani Carr — Geek & Sundry — March 22, 2018
  157. 157webPSA: Recap is moving to a written format on Critrole.com in 2020, penned by the inimitable Dani herself!Critical Role — December 17, 2019
  158. 158webCritical Role: Best Moments in the First Animated Recap2020-12-27
  159. 159webCritical Role Unleashes Critical Cuteness With Crit Recap Animated2020-12-24
  160. 160webProgramming Schedule: Week of August 1, 2022August 1, 2022
  161. 161web'Critical Role' to Explain 'Dungeons & Dragons' Basics in New Weekly ShowChristian Hoffer — August 22, 2018
  162. 162newsExclusive: Watch Critical Role's first Handbooker Helper episode and find out what's coming nextLisa Granshaw — 29 August 2018
  163. 163webHandbooker Helper: Monsterhearts 26 February 2020
  164. 164webSummer Programming ScheduleRomero Rachel — 2019-06-26
  165. 165webI Talked to Taliesin Jaffe and Liam O'Brien About CRITICAL ROLE: THE CHRONICLES OF EXANDRIA - THE MIGHTY NEIN2020
  166. 166webCritical Role's Metapigeon Acquires Sci-Fi Fantasy Podcast MidstCaitlin Tyrrell — March 29, 2023
  167. 167webHype: Listen to our New Sci-Fantasy Audio Drama, Midst!March 29, 2023
  168. 168tweetThe winner of Best Editing- Narrative Fiction is.. Midst -by Third Person. Congratulations! IMAGENew Jersey WebFest — September 19, 2021
  169. 169tweetThe winner of Outstanding Sci-fi Fiction Podcast is.. Midst! Congratulations again! @midstpodcast #FictionPodcast #FeelTheMagic IMAGENew Jersey WebFest — September 19, 2021
  170. 170tweetAnd last but absolutely not least! The winner of Best Of The Best is... Midst!!! Huge congratulations to these talented people! @midstpodcast #FictionPodcast #FeelTheMagic IMAGENew Jersey WebFest — September 19, 2021
  171. 171web2021 Fiction Podcast Nominations
  172. 172web2022 Fiction Podcast Award Winners
  173. 173webCritical Role Buys Midst PodcastMarch 29, 2023
  174. 174webProgramming Schedule: Week of June 24th, 2024June 24, 2024
  175. 175webExclusive: Will Friedle on painting minis, Critical Role and his new series Mini PrimetimeLisa Granshaw — 2019-10-30
  176. 176webWill Friedle dishes on hosting Critical Role's new series Mini Primetime2019-11-13
  177. 177webMini Primetime: After Dark6 August 2020
  178. 178webCritical Role is branching out further into the podcasting business and putting 2 heavyweight cast members on a new, experimental showCheryl Teh — July 11, 2024
  179. 179webHYPE! Get Ready For MOONWARD: A Midst Roleplaying StoryJuly 24, 2024
  180. 180webCritical Role: How Babs Tarr Brings D&D Characters to Life on 'Pub Draw'Corey Plante — April 20, 2019
  181. 181webBingeworthy: 'Critical Role' Productions Edition2020-03-31
  182. 182newsLegendary Digital Sets 'Alpha' Subscription VOD Launch Plans, With Nerdist and Geek & Sundry Programming SlateTodd Spangler — September 28, 2016
  183. 184webCritical Role to Return on July 2ndChristian Hoffer — June 25, 2020
  184. 185webIn case you missed it live… Talks Machina will return on September 15th at 7pm Pacific with new episodes airing every other week! Get hyped for more banter from your faves. Oh! And @BrianWFoster will be there too.@CriticalRole — September 4, 2020
  185. 186webCritical Role's Brian W. Foster reflects on Talks Machina's triumphant quarantine returnLisa Granshaw — 2020-09-11
  186. 187tweetGonna pin this since I get this question here and on IG and in my chat every day: Unfortunately, Talks has been canceled. I believe there are plans for a new "after-show", but @CriticalRole would have that info. That's all I know and can share Cowboy hat faceBrian Foster and — November 2, 2021
  187. 188bookRoleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling, Tabletop RPGs and FandomEmily C. Friedman — McFarland — 2021
  188. 189webUpdate: Where to Watch Talks MachinaJanuary 5, 2017
  189. 190newsTalks Machina Celebrates 100 EpisodesAshley Roepel — 21 February 2019
  190. 191webFireside Chat Talks Machina
  191. 192webHYPE: SEA What Lies Beneath in New Series: Thresher!April 9, 2025
  192. 193webExclusive: Brian W. Foster dishes on Critical Role's new show UnDeadwoodLisa Granshaw — 2019-10-20
  193. 194webHYPE: Wildemount Wildlings Premieres April 3rd!March 27, 2025
  194. 195webHow a Dungeons & Dragons livestream became a multiplatform media companySarah Whitten — March 27, 2025
  195. 196newsCritical Role Gets A Comic Book Origin For The Vox Machina, Out NowRich Johnston — September 20, 2017
  196. 197webCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #1 Review: Capturing the Spirit of the Beloved D&D Web SeriesChristian Hoffer — July 10, 2019
  197. 198webAnnouncing the First Critical Role Art Book!Rachel Romero — Geek & Sundry — August 18, 2017
  198. 199webHYPE: Dark Horse Comic Series Updates & The Mighty Nein Art BookRachel Romero — Critical Role — March 11, 2019
  199. 200webCritical Role's Sibling Tag Team Is Getting Its Own Prequel NovelJames Whitbrook — 2021-03-25
  200. 201webThe next D&D book is a Critical Role tie-inCharlie Hall — January 13, 2020
  201. 202webWe Review The Critical Role Funko POP CollectionDecember 23, 2020
  202. 203webCriticalRole's Subs Count and Statistics
  203. 204webCan anyone make a living in tabletop and actual play?Rowan Zeoli — May 31, 2024
  204. 205webCritical Role Celebrates 8th AnniversaryChristian Hoffer — March 12, 2023
  205. 206newsThe Game MasterLuke Winkie — 2023-08-13
  206. 207journalMediatization of tabletop role-playing: The intertwined cases of Critical Role and D&D BeyondJan Švelch — December 2022
  207. 208webCritical Role Beacon Membership Service AnnouncedTyler Chancey — May 9, 2024
  208. 209webPopular D&D Group Critical Role Asks Fans To Pay Because YouTube And Twitch SuckMoises Taveras — May 10, 2024
  209. 210webCritical Role Unveils Member Platform Beacon & People Are Drawing Comparison to Watcher ControversyTara McCauley — May 9, 2024
  210. 211newsDungeons & Dragons' New License Tightens Its Grip on CompetitionLinda Codega — January 5, 2023
  211. 212bookCritical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign SettingMatthew Mercer et al. — Green Ronin Publishing — 2017
  212. 213bookTal'Dorei Campaign Setting RebornMatthew Mercer — 2022
  213. 214webBeware the Gifts of Dragons: How D&D's Open Gaming License May Have Become a Trap for CreatorsKit Walsh — 2023-01-10
  214. 215webCritical Role Issues Ambiguous Response to 'D&D' OGL 1.1 ControversyJanuary 17, 2023
  215. 216tweetFrom all of us at Critical Role.
  216. 217newsD&D fans angered at WoTC insider email and Critical Role over OGL 1.1 responseGeoff Borgonia — January 16, 2023
  217. 218newsCritical Role Releases Official Statement on Dungeons and Dragons OGL ControversyEric Law — January 16, 2023
  218. 219av mediaWhy D&D's OGL Response RUINED Their BrandComicBook.com — January 15, 2023
  219. 220webCritical Role's Cast Supports Independent Creators and New Systems2023-01-23
  220. 221webCritical Role - The Shorty Awards
  221. 222webCritical Role - The Shorty Awards
  222. 223newsChose Stephen Colbert's 'Dungeons & Dragons' Adventure for CharityChristian Hoffer — May 15, 2019
  223. 224webCritical Role's next big move is a charity organization that fans can donate to all year roundJulia Alexander — 2020-10-07
  224. 225webCritical Role Announces 501(c)(3) Nonprofit FoundationSamantha Puc — 2020-09-24
  225. 226webCritical Role Foundation Critical Role2020-09-24
  226. 227webINTERVIEW: Critical Role Foundation President Ashley Johnson Says Critters Inspired New NonprofitSamantha Puc — 2020-09-24
  227. 228webChoose Stephen's Adventure… Again! The 7th Shorty Impact AwardsOctober 26, 2022