After 10 years, Critical Role‘s fourth campaign will be the webseries’ first without Matthew Mercer serving as game master. The actual play show (and, now, multimedia franchise) began in 2015, and since then Mercer has led all three campaigns, which you can listen to on the group’s YouTube channel. Campaign IV, however, will be led by Brennan Lee Mulligan, a frequent collaborator with the group and the dungeon master of another actual play series called Dimension 20. Mulligan’s years of experience and familiarity with Critical Role make him one of the most well-suited candidates to take the reins of a new campaign. Fans erupted into thunderous applause when Mulligan was brought on stage during the group’s Indianapolis live show over the weekend, but this is still a big change, and the Critical Role community has feelings on the matter.
Mulligan was broadly welcomed with open arms, but many Critical Role fans noted they were sad to see Mercer step down from the GM role, even if he will be a part of the campaign as a player. Fans were also taken aback by the announcement that Campaign IV will take place in a new setting, rather than returning to Exandria, the setting in which the first three campaigns took place. While diehards are mourning a fantasy setting they’ve been invested in for a decade along with Mercer’s shift out of the GM’s chair, this likely will make Campaign IV a better entry point for newcomers, as they won’t have to catch up on years of lore to jump in and watch.
I’ll watch, continue subscribing, etc. But would be lying if I didn’t say it breaks my heart that Matt isn’t GM’ing and some of the core cast isn’t returning.
If anyone could succeed Matt it’s Brennan, but man.
— Jolly Roger (@JollyRogX) August 3, 2025
I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not excited about the “new world.” Was really looking forward to how things would unfold on Exandria given how the last campaign ended.
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) August 3, 2025
Don’t know how I feel about this… Excited for a new story and world tho. It’s just not going to feel like CR.
— Xombie (@Xombie46) August 3, 2025
I AM SO EXCITED I CANT WAIT TO SEE BRENNAN TRAUMATIZE THEM https://t.co/UO8U8wgqfh
— Lin // ceo of widojest (@linzer_art) August 3, 2025
#criticalrole pic.twitter.com/hKCoNdHshM
— Jess Meier (@chippydipp) August 2, 2025
This is AMAZING news actually. Matt and Exandria DO need a break after ten years of nonstop storytelling. We owe them the world after 377 campaign episodes (not counting one-shots, miniseries, tie-in media, adaptations, etc), so I do welcome the new era and Brennan.#CriticalRole https://t.co/Y7CSyq4qtV pic.twitter.com/U8mDGGq8wT
— Leonandia #FantasticFour (@Leonandian) August 3, 2025
critical role fans acting like it’s the end of the fucking world that brennan is dming the next campaign can you all shut the fuck up and be normal
— elise (@wlwcabot) August 2, 2025
Unfortunately, with the franchise having endured pretty steadily for so long, some fans have developed pretty intense parasocial attachments to the original line-up, and so much change all at once has been upsetting for them. Others, however, were quick to point out that Mercer would finally get a break from running the series’ campaigns, and could come back stronger and lead a future story.
critical role has a fandom full of neurodivergent people and said hey y’all we’re overhauling everything on a random saturday night (which is there right, i just have already seen six “i hate change” posts in 20 minutes)
— nicole is watching tsitp & #bb27 (@thegilmoregirl_) August 2, 2025
Good to see the insanely parasocial side of the Critical Role fandom taking this campaign 4 news about as well as I’d expect. Christ you’d think someone had told them Matt Mercer killed their family or some shit
— Myri (@Lukazaide) August 2, 2025
so the critical role news huh pic.twitter.com/wO4hCnddrW
— allison (@AllieKitaguchi) August 2, 2025
i am actually really proud of critical role right now. they did one of the scariest things in the business: they changed. and they changed for the better, they’re trying new things with respect for the past, and that is really important!
— ias (@wiIdemount) August 3, 2025
It’s rather sad and pathetic how scared of change some critical role fans are with the campaign 4 news #Criticalrole
— maddie Eras Gillette 5/20 (@MadK089) August 3, 2025
“We’ve been enormous fans of Brennan’s for many years now, and when it came to giving both Matthew Mercer and the world of Exandria a bit of a breather, Brennan felt like the perfect storyteller to take our community somewhere entirely new,” Critical Role CEO, co-founder, and cast member Travis Willingham told Variety. “Critical Role has always been about genuine connection through storytelling first and foremost, and as Brennan himself will tell you, he’s still played more TTRPGs away from a camera than in front of it. His passion and drive for worldbuilding is infectious, and it’s been an absolute joy to spark off him as we forge ahead.”
Mulligan posted a lengthy message about these new developments on social media, confirming he will still be working with Dimension 20 and improv comedy network Dropout, Does this man ever sleep?
It is a gift, an honor, and a privilege to set out on this epic adventure with my friends at Critical Role, and I am grateful beyond words for their friendship, their creative brilliance, and the chance to tell this new epic story with them! And most of all, I am grateful to you reading this right now – There was no world where I didn’t spend my life telling stories with my friends, but the world where I get to do it for a living only exists because of you.
To everybody who has supported the shows and projects I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, I owe you a debt of gratitude I’ll never be able to repay, but it will be the joy of my lifetime trying to repay it anyway.
From the bottom of my heart – HELL YEAH!
Critical Role’s fourth campaign will begin on October 2.
