Critical Role Launches Paid Streaming Platform Called Beacon

Critical Role has launched a new streaming platform that will serve as an additional home for its main streaming shows and new exclusive series. Today, Critical Role launched Beacon, a new paid membership service that includes a platform featuring new exclusive series and ad-free versions of Critical Role’s flagship shows. Memberships will cost $5.99/month (or $59.99 annually) and will also come with early exclusive access to several new series and features. Critical Role will continue to stream its main series content on YouTube and Twitch. Shortly after launch, the Beacon.tv site was experiencing heavy traffic and periodically crashing, although it’s main page was available as of press time. 

As part of the announcement, Critical Role launched several new shows that will either air exclusively on Beacon or will have “early access” on Beacon. The exclusive series includes a monthly Critical Role Fireside Chat (held live on Beacon), and Critical Role Cooldown, which features post-show reactions from the cast. Debuting on Beacon on Early Access includes a new Critical Role Abridged series, which condenses the third Critical Role campaign episodes into 60-90 minute episodes, and the new podcast Re-Slayer’s Take, which focuses a group of adventurers rejected from the monster hunting group The Slayer’s Take. That show features George Primavera and Nick Williams as the game masters and cast members Jasmine Bhullar, Jasper William Cartwright, Caroline Lux, and Jasmine Chiong. Re-Slayer’s Take debuts on May 20th as a podcast everywhere but is available on Beacon two weeks early. Beacon subscribers will also have access to Critical Role podcasts on the same day that the show is broadcast on video platforms, which is a week ahead of other podcast platforms. 

Critical Role will also give Beacon members early access to event tickets, with a new live show announced for June. The new Bells Hells Live Show will take place on June 15th in Los Angeles and will feature Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Marisha Ray and Robbie Daymond run a normal episode of Critical Role. Tickets will go on sale for Beacon members on May 20th and will be available for everyone else on May 21st.