Critical Role, the creator-owned media company behind the hit Amazon animated series The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein, and indie game studio LICHTHUND today announced a new publishing partnership for ROCKBEASTS, the upcoming story-driven rock-and-roll management RPG where you guide a 90s grunge band from garage obscurity to stadium glory. Critical Role will serve as the co-publisher for the game as part of the company’s growing focus on games and interactive entertainment after their involvement in the massively successful game DISPATCH, from Adhoc Studios, which launched in October 2025.
As part of the collaboration, ROCKBEASTS will also feature voice talent from the cast of Critical Role, bringing members of the acclaimed ensemble into the game’s cast of musicians, friends, rivals and music industry personalities.
Developed by LICHTHUND, ROCKBEASTS is set in an alternative 1990s America and puts players behind the scenes of the music industry as the manager of an up-and-coming grunge band trying to make the jump from garage obscurity to stadium glory. Getting there means doing far more than putting on a good show. Players will book gigs, manage money and fragile egos, keep equipment running, schedule rehearsals and navigate the music industry’s moral minefield, from predatory record labels and jaded venue owners to hard-nosed executives. Every decision shapes the band’s relationships, reputation and future, forcing players to decide when to protect their creative vision, when to compromise and what they are willing to sacrifice for success.
“What immediately stood out to us about ROCKBEASTS was how much it feels like something the Critical Role audience will connect with. It’s character-driven, funny and emotional, and the choices players make truly shape the band and their relationships,” said Ben Van Der Fluit, SVP, Business and Content Development, Critical Role. “We’re excited to bring ROCKBEASTS to players as we continue to expand our presence in the video game business.”
“We’ve always seen ROCKBEASTS as an idea that deserves the full stadium treatment. Critical Role is helping us deliver it,” said Bartek Pieczonka, Creative Director, LICHTHUND. “The creative chemistry is already loud and clear, and it’ll bring the game to the players it will resonate with the most.”
ROCKBEASTS combines narrative RPG systems with hands-on band management and rhythm-based performance gameplay, putting players in charge of a group of talented misfits trying to make it in the music business without losing what brought them together in the first place. Players complete quests, manage limited resources and band dynamics, build setlists and take the stage, where every performance can bring new fans and opportunities or cost the band its reputation and morale.
At the center of it all is an emotional, darkly funny story about a group of talented misfits trying to survive the pressures of the music business without losing what made them want to make music in the first place. Written by award-winning narrative director Jakub Szamałek (The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, The Blood of Dawnwalker), the game features a hand-drawn visual style inspired by adult animation, 17 original full-length tracks drawing from ’90s alternative rock and grunge, and a voice cast that includes legendary “Godfather of Punk” Iggy Pop. ROCKBEASTS won “Excellence in Audio” at the DevGAMM Awards, earned nominations for the DevGAMM Grand Prize and gamescom’s Best Audio award, and was a 2025 official selection for both Day of the Devs at The Game Awards, and Tribeca Games Awards.
ROCKBEASTS is planned to launch in 2027. Players can wishlist the game now on Steam and learn more at ROCKBEASTS.com.
