Travis Willingham: Critical Role Game Announcement Imminent

The beloved Dungeons & Dragons show, Critical Role, is on the brink of unveiling its first major video game, according to CEO Travis Willingham, who hinted that an announcement could be made "any day." In a recent interview with Business Insider, the team shared their ambitious plans for the future, though specifics about the game's title and its integration with the Critical Role universe remain under wraps. Willingham emphasized the dedication of the development team, saying they are "hard at work" on the project.

Describing the upcoming video game spinoff, Willingham explained, "They'll actually be getting their hand on the stick and controlling the outcome of the story, changing what might be possible from not just some of their favorite characters, but new offerings in the world of Exandria." This suggests that players will have a significant impact on the narrative and explore both familiar and new elements within the Critical Role universe.

Willingham, who is not only an actor but also one of Critical Role's prominent stars, co-founded the company alongside other well-known voice actors including Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, and others. Since its start, the D&D show has expanded into a vast universe, with one of its most successful ventures being the Amazon Prime Video series, Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina.

The upcoming Critical Role video game is set to complement the franchise's other projects without necessarily being a direct tie-in. In a December 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, Willingham mentioned that the team was in "active pursuit" of creating a Critical Role video game spinoff, indicating they were nearing the end of a long development journey. Whether the game will follow one of the group's existing campaigns or introduce an original story within the Critical Role world is still uncertain.

The team had anticipated making an announcement by the end of 2024 or early 2025, and now, as we move into March, an announcement seems imminent. Reflecting on their approach to game development, Willingham told Rolling Stone, "Those collaborations we’ve had with various partners have been little toe dips in the pool just to see how it feels. You know, there’s a lot of upheaval in the interactive space right now. And we’ve seen studios sort of bear and weather those strains. It’s trying to become smarter about it and find out how we might fit into that larger ecosystem."

While a release date for the Critical Role video game has yet to be disclosed, fans can look forward to more information on The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 in the meantime.