Legendary designers ditch D&D for critical roles with Critical Role in major coup

Two major D&D designers who shaped the game for well over a decade have jumped ship to join the publishing arm of Critical Role.

Following their retirement from Dungeons & Dragons-maker Wizards of the Coast earlier this year, Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford (both of whom were driving forces behind the game's most recent editions) have been revealed today as creative director and game director respectively for Darrington Press - the Critical Role company responsible for Daggerheart, Candela Obscura, and more. It seems as though these roles will allow them to continue the kind of work that made them titans in this industry; the official press release notes that they'll be "developing new game concepts, innovative mechanics, and future iterations, including upcoming expansions involving the entire slate of Darrington Press products."

Despite having been involved with many of the best tabletop RPGs from Star Wars Roleplaying to the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game over the course of their careers, the pair is most commonly connected with Wizards of the Coast. Crawford had been with the company since 2007, whilst Perkins started working there in 1997. They were heavily involved in the design and direction of D&D during that time, leading the charge for Fourth and Fifth Edition alongside the 2024 revamp. With that in mind, it's a significant coup for Critical Role.

The team certainly seems to think so. Critical Role CEO and co-founder Travis Willingham says that the pair are "visionaries," noting that they have "guided much of this golden age of TTRPG design and philosophy, helping shape the way we play, connect, and imagine together. Their creativity, passion, and heart will only elevate everything we do at Darrington Press, and we couldn’t be more excited for what this means for the Critters and the stories we continue to tell."

"Storytelling has always been at the heart of everything I do, and joining Darrington Press feels a bit like coming home," says Perkins. "I've loved being a part of the extended Critical Role family as a regular guest over the years and I’m beyond excited to help create new worlds full of adventure."

Meanwhile, Crawford notes that "I’ve always believed that great games invite everyone to the table, and that’s exactly what excites me about joining Darrington Press. This team is passionate, wildly creative, and committed to building welcoming, connected, amazing story-driven experiences - I can’t wait to expand on what Critical Role has already created to develop some really fun and unique games."

Although I'm probably reading into things too much, it struck me as interesting that Perkins sees this as "coming home" to storytelling, while Crawford is hyped about the inclusivity of Darrington Press products. Is that a hint at what pushed them away simultaneously from D&D and a company they'd spent decades at? Possibly not, but it set my Spidey-Sense tingling nonetheless.

No matter what, it's an exciting development. The pair are giants in a world of tabletop RPGs, so the thought of them "retiring" (as they'd previously phrased it) was a little disheartening. Plus, their move to Critical Role makes it feel as though Darrington Press is rocketing into the zeitgeist more than ever. Watch this space, basically.

Want something new to play? Try the best board games, or the best 2-player board games.