Critical Role Critical Role Launches Subscription Streaming and Member Service

Critical Role announced the launch of Beacon, a subscription service for fans of Critical Role. While all existing streaming content will be available as always on Twitch and YouTube, but the service will offer exclusives such as access to an exclusive Discord server, immediate podcast and VOD recordings of live shows, early access to Critical Role Abridged and The Re-Slayer’s Take, and exclusive new shows including Critical Role Fireside Chat and Critical Role Cooldown.

Critical Role Fireside Chat will be a monthly AMA interview show featuring a different cast member. Each episode will be live streamed taking questions from the members-only Discord lasting 30-60 minutes. The first episode on May 21 will feature Matt Mercer.

Critical Role Cooldown is a backstage pass to Critical Role each week with post-show reactions, pitching plans from the cast, and more. The first ten episodes are available now starting with Campaign 3, Episode 83, and new episodes will air every Thursday following the live stream.

Members will also have access to pre-sales for events starting with Critical Role Live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. Paid members (not free trial accounts) will have access to purchase tickets on May 20 at 10:00 AM Pacific, while general sales open the following day.

Sign-ups are open now for a free 7-day trial, which will be auto-renewed for $5.99 at the end of the trial and on each month thereafter.

 

[Ringtail]

they are losing viewers and subscribers; maybe this is a way to more directly tap into fan $$. Im not sure if it addresses the fact that they don't play live anymore.

Not sure how much the liveplay aspect really matters. All the other big shows and podcasts are pre-recorded, but who knows. Maybe that was a significant factor for the fans.

The CR subreddit has been pretty critical (heh) of this campaign since the beginning, though I can't say how representative that is of the wider viewerbase. I can say Campaign 3 didn't resonate with me and I stopped watching it after awhile.

 

[Meech17]

Not sure how much the liveplay aspect really matters. All the other big shows and podcasts are pre-recorded, but who knows. Maybe that was a significant factor for the fans.

The CR subreddit has been pretty critical (heh) of this campaign since the beginning, though I can't say how representative that is of the wider viewerbase. I can say Campaign 3 didn't resonate with me and I stopped watching it after awhile.

I wonder if this is something every actual play series will struggle with? I don't follow Critical Role, but I've noticed other D&D podcasts I've listened to always seem to draw the ire of the fan base the further they get from their breakout season. Name The Adventure Zone, and Dungeons and Daddies. I honestly didn't know if TAZ was going to survive Graduation response.

 

[TiQuinn]

The CR subreddit has been pretty critical (heh) of this campaign since the beginning, though I can't say how representative that is of the wider viewerbase. I can say Campaign 3 didn't resonate with me and I stopped watching it after awhile.

Same here - it's just been very long, very drawn out. They used to hit about 5 or 6 arcs in the course of a campaign, and this time, it's all about Ruidus, and it's taken them for.....ev......er to get there.

Also for me, the more that the characters have diverged away from recognizable D&D archetypes and rules, the more I've grown disinterested. It's why I liked Campaign 1 more than any of the others.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not sure how much the liveplay aspect really matters. All the other big shows and podcasts are pre-recorded, but who knows. Maybe that was a significant factor for the fans.

They have a huge live audience each week on Twitch. It doesn't matter to me, either, but it does for the most hardcore.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder if this is something every actual play series will struggle with? I don't follow Critical Role, but I've noticed other D&D podcasts I've listened to always seem to draw the ire of the fan base the further they get from their breakout season. Name The Adventure Zone, and Dungeons and Daddies. I honestly didn't know if TAZ was going to survive Graduation response.

I finally resubscribed to TAZ to listen to The Adventure Zone Versus Dracula, but I honestly haven't had time to listen to any of it. I've got too many other shows I'd rather listen to each week.

I gave up on TAZ in their submarine season, which should have been my jam, but which just made my eyes glaze over.

Their worldbuilding is not great and the more time they spend on it in a season, the less I'm engaged. I like TAZ for the family bouncing off each other during games, not for hearing about how the foobles are woozling and only our heroes can sniffsnaff the zingzang.

 

[overgeeked]

Not sure how much the liveplay aspect really matters. All the other big shows and podcasts are pre-recorded, but who knows. Maybe that was a significant factor for the fans.

The CR subreddit has been pretty critical (heh) of this campaign since the beginning, though I can't say how representative that is of the wider viewerbase. I can say Campaign 3 didn't resonate with me and I stopped watching it after awhile.

The CR subreddit is weird. It’s the most toxically positive place I’ve ever seen.

 

[Meech17]

I finally resubscribed to TAZ to listen to The Adventure Zone Versus Dracula, but I honestly haven't had time to listen to any of it. I've got too many other shows I'd rather listen to each week.

I gave up on TAZ in their submarine season, which should have been my jam, but which just made my eyes glaze over.

Their worldbuilding is not great and the more time they spend on it in a season, the less I'm engaged. I like TAZ for the family bouncing off each other during games, not for hearing about how the foobles are woozling and only our heroes can sniffsnaff the zingzang.

Loved Balance. It took me a while to warm up to it, but I ended up loving Amnesty as well.. I loved the premise of, and was really excited for both Graduation, and Steeple Chase, and ended up souring on both of them. I had to force myself to finish them. I was already so close to the finish line I couldn't not get there. Funny enough Ethersea was one I thought sounded boring on first brush, but ended up enjoying it after I got into it. It also fell flat in the later part of the season though.

I agree though. They are all (usually) great at character building.. But the world building is less impressive.

Not to derail the thread, but what other shows are you listening to? I'm forcing myself to power through the end of Dungeons and Daddies season 2, and could use a palate cleanser.

 

[Ringtail]

The CR subreddit is weird. It’s the most toxically positive place I’ve ever seen.

Have to concur. They're obviously obsessed, but also the first to be super toxic about the latest episode or how bad Aabria's DM'ing is, etc.

Better than the Twitch chat though.

 

[Distracted DM]

Yeah, that's what's kept me from diving into Patreon; it can easily get out of control. We actually had to cut back on our streaming subscriptions for the same reason. (We currently do one major one and Dropout each month, and rotate the major one based on what new show we're itching to watch.)

Good thing you've kept out of it. I spent $$$/month on map Patreons before I started professional GMing. Going pro let me talk myself into spending even more since it'd be a write-off :')

 

[Ringtail]

They have a huge live audience each week on Twitch. It doesn't matter to me, either, but it does for the most hardcore.

True, but does it matter if they're actually live or just debuting a recorded episode live? If you enjoy watching it with the Twitch chat and finding out what happens every week like a TV show, I feel like it shouldn't make much difference. But perhaps I'm the outlier.

I always fall behind anyway, so watching live is never really an option. I tune in for the start of a new campaign to see the new art and hear the new silly accents and then make peace with falling behind.