Why There Was No Critical Role This Week & When It Will Be Back

The Los Angeles fires have led to the cancelation and postponement of many events, and Critical Role is no exception. Here’s how the ongoing crisis in the Los Angeles area has impacted Critical Role’s schedule and when the main campaign will return.

Why Was There No Critical Role This Week?

On Wednesday, January 8, Critical Role announced that Campaign 3, Episode 119 would be postponed by one week due to the wildfire crisis impacting the Los Angeles area. The episode, meant to stream the following day, was tentatively pushed back to January 16. While fans are eager to watch Campaign 3’s final act unfold, the team behind it has encouraged patience as they monitor the ongoing disaster and apply programming adjustments necessary to facilitate the safety and well-being of the show’s cast and crew.

Here’s a list of upcoming Critical Role and Beacon productions and how their various releases have been impacted by the Los Angeles fires:

• Critical Role Campaign 3, Episode 119: Tentatively moved to Jan. 16 at 7 pm PT
• Critical Role Cooldown Campaign 3, Episode 119: Tentatively moved to Jan. 16
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows One-Shot: Jan. 14 at 7 pm PT (as originally scheduled)
• UNEND Season 1, Episode 14: Jan. 15 (as originally scheduled)
• The Re-Slayer’s Take: Next episode delayed, date to be determined
• January’s Fireside Chat with Laura Bailey: Delayed, date to be determined

While some programs will still stream on their intended dates others, like January’s Fireside Chat with Laura Bailey, have been put on a temporary hiatus, with updates promised to come through on Critical Role‘s socials once the situation in Los Angeles has gotten further under control. With the fires still ongoing, these dates, including the rescheduled one for Campaign 3, Episode 119, remain subject to change. “While we’re tentatively resuming streaming this week, we appreciate your understanding with any sudden schedule changes amidst a continually evolving situation,” the show’s X account said.

Though Critical Role episodes have been pre-recorded since the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of resources that go into the show’s streaming schedule that have been impacted by the fires. “It goes without saying that our production pipeline has been effected,” shared Creative Director Marisha Ray on an Instagram story that likewise provided updates about her evacuation status during the fire. Production resources aside, the Los Angeles fires have claimed lives and property and forced many residents to evacuate the city. Given these dire conditions, it’s understandable that the show has temporarily put the fictional calamities of Exandria on the back burner as its Los Angeles-based crew contends with alarmingly real ones.

The Los Angeles Fires Have Directly Impacted Critical Role’s Cast and Crew

Ray’s Instagram story requesting patience with Critical Role‘s fluctuating schedule also included an update about herself and Matthew Mercer. The couple is among the masses of Angelinos who needed to evacuate their homes as a result of the fires, with many neighborhoods still on notice as winds continue to ravage the city. Others on the staff, such as producer and Queen by Midnight designer Kyle Shire, suffered the tragic loss of their homes post-evacuation. A GoFundMe has been set up to help rebuild Shire’s home and has circulated Critical Role‘s socials, blowing its initial fundraising goal out of the water as a result of the overwhelming generosity of the fervent fanbase.

Leaving the world better than they found it is a central tenant of Critical Role, one that fuels the non-profit organization, The Critical Role Foundation. In the initial post announcing the delay of Campaign 3, Episode 119, Critical Role shared that they were able to donate $30K to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund through their eponymous nonprofit. Members of the Critical Role team who have been active on social media during the fires such as Mercer and Lore Keeper Dani Carr continue to provide links to other GoFundMes and places where folks can donate, volunteer, or otherwise provide aid. Even after losing their own home, Shire and his partner posted a video to raise awareness for their neighbors Greg and Cynthia’s GoFundMe.

These are just some ways in which Critical Role fans can and have contributed to the rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles, a list that will surely grow in the coming weeks as Critical Role eases back into their programming schedule. Offering grace in the face of any further schedule changes and appropriate privacy to the cast and crew during this difficult time are common courtesies that go a long way in maintaining Critical Role‘s constructive and generous community during this crisis.