Critical Role continues to grow! Metapigeon, Critical Role’s development and production arm, has officially announced their acquisition of Midst, a semi-improvised narrative based podcast. With this dip into developing new IP there’s no telling what stories are waiting in the wings to be told. Partnering with production studio Third Person, the podcast founders also narrate and produce the series set to expand the world and brand of Midst. 

“As part of our ongoing effort to expand the types of narratives we share and elevate new storytellers, we remain focused on exploring diverse IP in a multitude of mediums,” said Ben Van Der Fluit, Critical Role’s SVP of Business and Content Development. “Working with the narrators of Midst has been a dream – we’re such fans of the world they have built, and we look forward to continuing to empower their creative dreams.”

Told by three very unreliable yet playfully omniscient narrators, the story takes place in a space-western town of Stationary Hill on the isle of Midst. Following a grumpy outlaw, a struggling outlaw, and a diabolical bastard as their paths intersect, we get a first row seat to their adventures as they unfold. Midst is meant to fully engage their audience with immersive and highly original settings and a unique style of storytelling. The narrators voice all the action and sometimes break the fourth wall.

Everything you hear, see, and experience in Midst is the work of the three narrators known collectively as a performance and production studio called “Third Person”. The show’s three narrators voice Midst’s large ensemble of characters (often interchangeably) and create Midst’s story, music, sound effects, art, and lore
with their own six hands.

“In lieu of the trumpet and explosion emojis that would be the truest expression of our feelings, we can say with full sincerity that we are over the moon to have found partners with such phenomenal passion and talent for creative multimedia storytelling,” said the podcast’s founders. “Critical Role and Metapigeon are enabling us to bring Midst to life in ways we never imagined possible, and we can’t wait to share what’s in store with fans both old and new.” 

What To Expect

The first two seasons of the show – which will be re-released under Critical Role and Metapigeon – will feature remastered audio and a new video version of each episode. Season three (and beyond) are currently in the works. Each episode features at least one original art piece from notable artists including Ricardo Bessa, Lenka Simeckova, Sam Bosma, Artem Chebokha, Lap Pun Cheung, Will Kirkby and more.

The first three episodes of the new and remastered series are set to release for free April 11th, 12th, and 13th on Critical Role’s YouTube channel with unique animated artwork tied to each episode, as well as in podcast format via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Future episodes will release weekly on Wednesdays at 5am Pacific. Subscribers who pay either $2.99 per month or $29.99 annually will gain access to the first five episodes on April 11th, as well as future episodes two weeks in advance (available via the Midst website). Subscribers will also enjoy an ad-free experience and access to a large array of lore-expanding bonus content around each episode, such as documents, items, and artifacts from the world of the story, perfect for listeners who want to delve deeper into the Midst universe.

Into The Unknown

With this new acquisition, Critical Role has shown they’re not afraid to step into the unknown. A new IP means new stories, more collaboration, and the opportunity for something truly magical to unfold. With a that in mind, it’s exciting to watch Critical Role take on something new and showing their insatiable need to expand, giving creators the opportunity to tell the stories they want to tell in unique and surprising ways. It looks like they’re just getting started.