Critical Role Acquires Two Core D&D Designers in Business Twist

D&D veterans Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford are joining Darrington Press, the gaming imprint owned by Critical Role, in a move that shocked fans yet seemed to make sense.

Perkins will join DP as Creative Director, while Crawford will be Game Director. Their roles parallel their previous work at Dungeons and Dragons.

“Storytelling has always been at the heart of everything I do, and joining Darrington Press feels a bit like coming home,” said 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.”

“I’ve always believed that great games invite everyone to the table, and that’s exactly what excites me about joining Darrington Press,” said Crawford. “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.”

The announcement arrives at a remarkable moment for Darrington, after what appears to be a notably successful launch for Daggerheart, its fantasy-themed TTRPG.

The Timeline of Crawford/Perkins’ Departure

The two designers stepped away from Wizards of the Coast in April, surprising fans with the decision. The departure had been planned for a long time. The pair of designers claimed it was on amicable terms, especially since it happened after the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons and the launch of the 2024 D&D ruleset.

The two designers “wanted to make sure that [the core rulebooks were really successful, that they were setting up all of the future leads for success,” WOTC VP of Franchise and Product Jess Lanzillo told Screen Rant in April. “That has happened, and they feel really reassured that the folks in place will be able to carry on with the wonderful legacy that they've given us, and then bring their own stuff to the table, which they've already been doing."

Critical Role CEO Travis Willingham said Darrington Press approached them after the two stepped down, indirectly addressing notions that ulterior motives played some factor in why the pair stepped down when they did.

“When we first caught wind that they were thinking about taking time off from where they were at,” Willingham told the Los Angeles Times. “we said, ‘Hey, listen, we’re over here making cool nerdy things. If it’s ever of interest to come over to Critical Role and mess around with what we’re doing, we would love to have a conversation.’ When you look at the opportunity to bring in 15, 17 years of experience, pedigree, pipeline, timeline, management, all of those things from really the granddaddy system of them all, that is always extremely interesting. It’s a chance to level up everyone around here as well.”

The two designers had a longstanding relationship with CR, so the deal makes a lot of sense. Critical Role has been a prominent face for D&D, and three supplements were created for the game using Matthew Mercer’s world, Exandria?

So what does this mean for Darrington Press in the future?

“First, we believe there’s strength in diversity,” Perkins and Crawford said in a joint email response to the LA Times. “Diverse creators and diverse games help to create an industry that feels more inviting to everyone. The more people we welcome into the proverbial tent, the more powerful the industry becomes.”

“Second, we think it’s important for the industry to acknowledge that friendly, introductory experiences are important for onboarding new generations of gamers. Third, we hope the industry never loses the joy of play. So many of us became game designers, game masters and players because of the spark of joy we felt when we first tried a role-playing game. Let’s continue to fan that spark into a flame that fills everything we do with infectious delight.”

However, the two declined to comment on what new projects are coming.

WOTC praised the decision to hire Perkins and Crawford. Hours after the initial announcement, the company posted a statement expressing its support for the pair.

Why This Matters

Most hires don’t matter much to the public, since most D&D players don’t know who creators like Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford are. But if I had to speculate, Crawford and Perkins’ role at Darrington Press has me considering a few things.

• Darrington Press Intends to Focus on Daggerheart: While the two D&D veterans have made plenty of non-fantasy games, their role at the company seems to imply a level of focus and seriousness regarding game development. It also affirms that Critical Role is “never going away,” a theme that resonated within a Rolling Stone feature of the creators from this weekend. The company intends to be a serious contributor to the TTRPG market.

• Daggerheart Might Be Competitive: A hundred fantasy TTRPGs give players many options. There are too many options, if I can be honest. D&D remains supreme and will likely stay so until an economic or social event of monumental proportions changes things. But who will be second? Paizo currently holds that role with Pathfinder, but perhaps Daggerheart could be more prominent in what people think of when they play TTRPGs? Crawford and Perkins’ leadership could help them take that advantage.

• Could Daggerheart Become Too Much like D&D? One criticism I have heard of is that the pair’s hiring seems to reinforce the idea that Daggerheart is trying to be just like D&D and that it won’t do anything too crazy to distinguish itself from other fantasy TTRPGs. The game is out, and it does have threads of D&D within it.

• Critical Role’s Relationship with WOTC Remains Murky: A key question that I and other fans of Critical Role have wondered about what happens next for the actual play. Will Matthew Mercer and the crew play Daggerheart for their fourth long-term campaign, or will they stick with 2014 or 2024 D&D? Perkins and Crawford’s hire makes it hard to guess, especially with how well it was received. CR doesn’t seem eager to do anything that might cut ties with WOTC or Hasbro.

At the end of the day, I am very excited for Crawford and Perkins to join Darrington Press and I’m eager to see what happens next.

But what do you think? I’d love to know your thoughts. Tag me on Bluesky or email me at [email protected].