{"id":973333,"date":"2024-12-05T07:56:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T13:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/?p=973333"},"modified":"2024-12-05T07:57:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T13:57:04","slug":"critical-role-is-actively-looking-to-develop-its-own-video-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbsgame.com\/critical-role-is-actively-looking-to-develop-its-own-video-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Role is actively looking to develop its own video game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Critical Role has said that it is in \u201cactive pursuit\u201d of a video game deal, potentially expanding the team\u2019s reach even further. <\/p>

The team of voice actors, headed by Matt Mercer, has become a powerhouse in the geek publishing world with its own D&D<\/em> campaign streaming series, its own campaign settings, novels, an Amazon Prime animated series, its own tabletop game, and more.<\/p>

From humble beginnings<\/h2><\/iframe>

Critical Role started<\/a> as part of the Geek & Sundry channel and essentially streamed a group of voice-actor friends playing D&D<\/em> campaigns. In 2019, Critical Role decided to move away from Geek & Sundry. The split led to the decline of Geek & Sundry but also saw Critical Role go from strength to strength with the creative freedom it desired.<\/p>

In September 2024, Geek & Sundry partnered with Realm Media and started to produce new content. In contrast, Critical Role has amassed more than 2 million followers on YouTube and is just concluding its third streamed campaign. Those campaigns have spawned novels, comics, and even an animated show on Amazon Prime.<\/p>

There have already been three full seasons of The Legend of Vox Machina<\/em> aired on Amazon Prime, and a fourth season has been announced. The show is essentially an animated version of the group\u2019s streamed campaigns and features all of the cast from the mainstream as voice actors in the show. A fourth season of the show was commissioned around the time the final episode of season three aired.<\/p>

Critical Role games<\/h2>

Matt Mercer, Critical Role\u2019s Dungeon Master, has announced the launch of his own TTRPG, coming in 2025<\/a>. Daggerheart<\/em> aims to do things differently from traditional Dungeons & Dragons, <\/em>and the game’s early rules show that it is meant to be more narrative-based.<\/p>

One criticism that has been leveled at the system is against that of the combat system. There\u2019s no rolling for initiative, which is how D&D<\/em> determines who will attack or move first. Instead, fight order and actions are determined narratively. This effectively means that players and the DM will be able to determine play order on the fly. This lack of structure will please those who struggle with D&D\u2019s<\/em> rigid structure, but it won\u2019t appeal to die-hard TTRPG fans.<\/p>

Mercer is the architect behind Critical Role\u2019s homebrew adventures, and Daggerheart<\/em> is designed for homebrew DMs, which makes perfect sense. And, with Critical Role\u2019s success, Daggerheart<\/em> will likely enjoy a similar level of popularity.<\/p>

During an interview with Rolling Stone<\/a>, the Critical Role team talked about legacy and what was next for them. They said they were actively pursuing a video game move, and suggested that an announcement could be made as soon as the end of this year or the beginning of 2025. They also said that they hoped to one day pass the Critical Role baton on to another team of creators.<\/p>

There have been no further details about a likely video game, except that it will be separate from the team\u2019s D&D<\/em> streaming adventures and Vox Machina<\/em>. Players should probably expect something more on the narrative side of gaming, rather than a D&D<\/em>-style game like Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em>.<\/p>

More from Critical Role<\/h2>

In the meantime, Critical Role fans have a lot more content to look forward to. The gang is releasing a Christmas album featuring songs performed by the Critical Role cast both as themselves and as their characters from the stream. The track list includes Silent Mind<\/em> and Deck the Bear<\/em>. It is available on streaming platforms, while standard and deluxe vinyl editions can also be pre-ordered for delivery in Spring 2025.<\/p>

Fans of the second campaign will be able to read Tusk Love<\/em>. Tusk Love<\/em> was originally featured in the second campaign as an inside joke, but the smutty novel is due to be published by Penguin Randon House. Tusk Love<\/em> has been written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Gauzon and is the 7th<\/sup> book published as part of the collaboration between Penguin and the Critical Role team.<\/p>

You're not dreaming, the long-awaited Tusk Love is real and heading to a bedside table near you! \ud83e\uddb7\ud83e\uddb7 \ud83d\udc95

We\u2019re thrilled to announce the extra saucy romance novel beloved by Jester (and tolerated by The Mighty Nein) is now available for pre-order from our friends at\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/SS8h9Iyrjt<\/a><\/p>— Critical Role (@CriticalRole) November 14, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>