Developer Lichthund has confirmed a new partnership with Critical Role to support the development and publishing of their upcoming title, Rockbeasts. The game, which tasks players with managing a rock and roll band from their humble beginnings in a garage to performing on major stages, is officially scheduled for a January 2027 release on PlayStation 5.
Partnership Details and Casting
The collaboration between Lichthund and Critical Role encompasses both creative and publishing support. According to the official announcement from Lichthund, this partnership is intended to provide the necessary resources to realize the developer's original vision for the management RPG. As part of this creative expansion, voice actors Matthew Mercer and Sam Riegel have officially joined the cast of Rockbeasts.
Bartosz Pieczonka, Creative Director and Co-CEO of Lichthund, noted that the involvement of Mercer and Riegel is expected to bring a specific energy to the game's characters, which the team describes as a mix of chaos and heart. The management mechanics of the game will require players to balance resources and handle the personalities of their band members throughout their career progression. Players are tasked with managing the band's internal dynamics, including ego and feedback, while navigating the challenges of the music industry.
Source-by-source evidence timeline
| Source | Tier | Published | Captured signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Blog | official | 2026-10-08 17:00 UTC | Critical Role joins Rockbeasts, launching January 2027. |
Release Information and Platform Scope
Rockbeasts is currently confirmed for a January 2027 launch on PlayStation 5. Interested players can currently add the title to their wishlists on the platform in preparation for the release. While secondary reports have mentioned potential availability on other platforms, the official announcement from the developer currently specifies only the PlayStation 5 release window. There are no documented prerequisites for playing the game other than the standard ownership of the hardware and the software license once it becomes available.
Limitations
This report is based on official statements provided by Lichthund via the PlayStation Blog. While the partnership and casting of Matthew Mercer and Sam Riegel are confirmed, the full scope of Critical Role's creative contribution beyond voice acting remains to be detailed. Additionally, while secondary sources have suggested a wider platform release, this report adheres strictly to the official confirmation of the PlayStation 5 version. The information provided is limited to the current state of the project as of October 8, 2026.
Methodology
In Game News grouped independently captured feed signals by entity and event similarity, then treated official and platform announcements as factual evidence while using secondary headlines only as discovery context. This report synthesizes official announcements from the developer and publisher to confirm the partnership details, casting, and release window, while cross-referencing secondary reports for platform availability context.
Confirmed evidence
- Lichthund is partnering with Critical Role for both creative and publishing support on Rockbeasts.
- Matthew Mercer and Sam Riegel have officially joined the cast of Rockbeasts.
- Rockbeasts is a rock and roll management RPG where players manage a band from a garage to large stages.
- Rockbeasts is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 in January 2027.
- Players can currently wishlist Rockbeasts in preparation for the January 2027 release.