Leading D&D Designers Join Critical Role’s Competing Tabletop RPG Company

Summary

Chris Perkins & Jeremy Crawford, former D&D creators, now work for Critical Role’s publishing firm.
Both Perkins & Crawford hold key roles at Darrington Press, contributing to new & existing products.
Their expertise may enhance Daggerheart, a D&D competitor, attracting those unhappy with current business practices.

Two of the most prominent names in the history of Dungeons & Dragons are now working for one of its competitors, as Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford are now working for Critical Role’s publishing company, which includes its fantasy tabletop RPG, Daggerheart.

Chris Perkins worked on published Dungeons & Dragons material back in the ‘80s, eventually joining Wizards of the Coast, rising through the ranks to become a Senior Story Designer and eventual Creative Director on the game. Jeremy Crawford had a similarly illustrious career, working on the 4e Dungeons & Dragons, eventually becoming the Game Director for the 2024 5e update.

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Following the release of the updated 2025 Monster Manual, Perkins and Crawford left Wizards of the Coast, both explaining how they were retiring. It seems that the retirement didn’t last long, as Darrington Press, the company that publishes Critical Role’s Daggerheart RPG, has announced that both have joined the team.

Two Of D&D’s Best Creators Are Working For Critical Role’s Game

Daggerheart Frog Adventurer — Image Via Darrington Press (Leesha Hanningan)

According to Darrington Press, Crawford has joined as Game Director, while Perkins is the Creative Director. They will work on a variety of Darrington Press products, as well as develop new ones for the company.

There’s a good chance that they’ll bring their expertise to Daggerheart, the d12/card-based tabletop RPG system that is one of Dungeons & Dragons’ competitors in the tabletop market, one that has attracted people weary with Wizards of the Coast’s business practices, especially following the OGL controversy of 2023, which threatened to upend the industry.

Darrington Press has just added some of the best names in the business to its roster, with the people who helped turn Dungeons & Dragons into the global brand it is today primed to help a game that can lure people away from the Forgotten Realms, especially now that the Baldur’s Gate 3 buzz has died down.