I should have suspected something was afoot when Acquisitions Incorporated Dungeons and Dragons the live performance at PAX West 2025 in September ended with Evelyn Martijn (Anna Prosser) plunging a DAGGER into the HEART of the structure to “reset reality.” The presence of Matt Mercer as one of the players on November Acq Inc game at PAX Unplugged 2025 That was the final clue, but I was still shocked to learn that one of the oldest and most successful real-life D&D game franchises had moved on to Critical Roles. Daggerheart TTRPG framework.
However, this is far from a reboot. Acq Inc's best quality has always been its ability to go beyond the gaming system and create a truly fun and interesting experience for its fans. The show began as a D&D podcast at the dawn of Fourth Edition in 2008. Their first live performance was at PAX West 2010, and its success opened the floodgates for TTRPG live performances. In 2012, they switched to 5e and the team landed in the Forgotten Realms, where they remained for over a decade (excluding a few adventures on other planes). In 2023, the group moved to the “original” D&D setting of Greyhawk, in what many believed was a complete reboot related to 2024 edition of the rules.
Despite all these changes, with only Penny Arcade duo Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik remaining from the original lineup, the brand never lost its identity or connection with its fans. Instead of using a switch Daggerheart To start from scratch, they went to great lengths to make sure it fit into the show's continuity. As a long-time fan of Acq Inc, I think this is a great move and the perfect next step for the brand.
Back in April, the fantasy tabletop role-playing game world was shocked to learn that two of D&D's main designers, Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, left Wizards of the Coast to join Darrington Presspublishing division Critical Role, which recently released its own role-playing game, Daggerheart. Perkins and Crawford have long been staples of Acq Inc, with the former being the show's first DM, passing the scepter to Crawford in 2018. The two, and especially Perkins, are so ingrained in the brand's identity that the emergence of Acq Inc and Daggerheart paths crossed.
While I didn't expect the systems to change, it makes sense. Critical Role silenced rumors of a brewing war with Wizards of the Coast when they decided to play D&D in their long-awaited 4th campaign.. There are many good reasons for this, but it still left many fans and novels. Daggerheart enthusiasts are disappointed. They lost the biggest platform in the industry to showcase their own game and must have been looking for alternative ways to do it.
Although Acq Inc does not have the same numbers as Critical Role, it is an established brand with an impeccable reputation. Additionally, Holkins and Krahulik's status as the founders of Penny Arcade has allowed them to build an impressive network of partnerships and sponsors, including D&D Beyond, Hero Forge, Idle champions of the forgotten kingdomsand much more. Perkins and Crawford, a former creative director and game director for D&D, being the show's official hosts is a testament to the corporate clout of Acq Inc., which is ironic considering the team is a parody of a greedy but inept corporation.
Perkins and Crawford now have the perfect platform to showcase new products and campaign customizations they are developing for. Daggerheartwhile Critical Role remains in Wizards' good graces. Meanwhile, judging by the reaction to the PAX Unplugged show, Acq Inc fans don't seem too opposed to the systems change.
In any case, Acq Inc has never paid too much attention to the rules of the game. It's a comedy show that embodies the silly and chaotic aspect of D&D. Perkins explained it best in a recent interview with Popverseanswering the question of why Acq Inc has been around for so long: “It's always managed to maintain a certain balance between being true to the experience and going after it, and just being its own thing, not being ruled by rules and not being slavishly devoted to the D&D portrayal that a lot of people have experienced in the past. It really kind of amplifies the silliness and kind of shows that you can enjoy D&D and not have to be that knowledgeable about D&D.”
The same formula can work with Daggerheart. Fans will tune in to see Omin Dran (Halkins) get turned on by complicated paperwork, Jim Darkmagic (Krahulik) shoot pigeons with his magic wands, Evelyn preach the glory of whoever the sun god is in this setting as she beheads monsters, and interns are routinely exploited after failing to read the very fine print in Omin's contracts. It doesn't matter if they play with an advantage or with fear and hope.
Acq Inc can only benefit from these changes. Seeing Matt Mercer at the PAX Unplugged table playing Omin's son Bode was like an amazing crossover moment. Critical Role is hugely popular, and it will bring more attention to Acq Inc, which the show richly deserves – it was the first table that truly made D&D something you can enjoy even if you don't play. The PAX Unplugged show is now available on the Critical Role Beacon streaming platform, which is sure to generate more interest in Acq Inc. As a long time fan, I think it would be great to see Acq Inc at the forefront Dagger Heart plans for the future.
Watching Chris Perkins in Acq Inc (and Bones, camera, action!) got me interested in D&D and DM again after a long hiatus at the end of 3.5e. I modeled my DM style after his and I just know it as soon as I see him step behind the screen to launch Daggerheart game for Holkins, Krahulik and the rest of the cast, I'll finally get into the game, or at least try.
