Critical Role Names Its First New Dungeon Master in Years for the Volo’s Volo Crossover

Critical Role is getting a new Dungeon Master for its upcoming crossover one-shot, and the move pairs a familiar face with a fresh setting. The Altered World Event one-shot will take Daggerheart’s mechanics and drop them into the world of Control: Resonant, the upcoming video game from Remedy Entertainment.

The cast includes Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, and Sean Durrie, who stars as Dylan Faden in Resonant. Leading the adventure is Zachery Renauldo, who Critters first met as the player character Barnaby in the Suikoden special in 2025, and again as Alphonse in the mini-campaign Age of Umbra: Sallowlands.

Renauldo’s Path From Content Creator to GM

Renauldo began his career in the tabletop space as a YouTube and TikTok content creator, highlighting the humorous side of Dungeons & Dragons for a worldwide audience. Now he is stepping into the GM chair for Critical Role for the first time.

The Altered World Event will air at 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 22, on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon. Critical Role revealed on X that the cast will explore a “warped Manhattan” on “the brink of paranatural annihilation.” Given Control’s strange, reality-bending story, the setting fits perfectly with Daggerheart’s inventive uses of the Hope and Fear mechanics.

The Cast Behind the One-Shot

Sean Durrie brings his role as Dylan Faden from Resonant to the table, adding a direct link between the tabletop adventure and the video game it borrows from.

The quartet will navigate the altered Manhattan together, guided by Renauldo’s direction.

Renauldo’s Track Record With Critters

Critters first met Renauldo as Barnaby in the Suikoden special in 2025. He later returned as Alphonse in the mini-campaign Age of Umbra: Sallowlands.

His path from content creator to professional GM is a common one in the tabletop community. Renauldo’s YouTube and TikTok work highlighted the humorous side of Dungeons & Dragons, and now he is applying that experience to a major crossover event.

The Setting: Warped Manhattan

The one-shot takes place in a “warped Manhattan” on “the brink of paranatural annihilation.” That description comes directly from Critical Role’s reveal on X. The combination of Daggerheart’s mechanics and Control’s reality-bending story suggests a surreal adventure ahead.

A Precedent in the Video Game Collaboration

This is not the first video game crossover for Critical Role’s own role-playing game. Matthew Mercer recently led Questwatch, a Daggerheart adventure that premiered during Blizzard Entertainment’s BlizzCon on Sept. 13.

Mercer appeared as his Overwatch character Cassidy, narrating the story for his fellow Overwatch voice actors.

The Date and Platforms

The one-shot airs at 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 22. It streams on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon.

The schedule gives viewers multiple options for watching. Anyone who wants to see how Renauldo handles the GM chair can tune in across those three platforms.

Here is how the event breaks down:

1. The cast — Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, and Sean Durrie — will explore a warped Manhattan.
2. The adventure uses Daggerheart’s Hope and Fear mechanics.
3. The setting draws on Control’s reality-bending story.
4. The event airs at 7 p.m. PT on Sept. 22.

“The Altered World Event will air at 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 22, on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon.”

Critical Role is expanding its reach with this crossover. By combining Daggerheart’s mechanics with Control’s world, the company is creating a session that appeals to fans of both properties.

Renauldo’s appointment as GM adds weight to the event. His history with Critters means he understands the audience and the format.

The Altered World Event is a natural progression for Critical Role’s multimedia approach. The company has consistently found ways to connect its tabletop campaigns with other forms of entertainment, and this crossover continues that pattern.

The one-shot offers a chance to see how a familiar GM performs in a new role, while also showcasing the creative possibilities of combining two distinct fictional universes.

See the video the story is built around at Polygon.

Control · Critical Role · Dungeon Master · Resonant · Streaming · Twitch