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ROCKBEASTS Release Date Set for January 2027
LICHTHUND and Critical Role have confirmed that ROCKBEASTS will launch in January 2027, alongside revealing several familiar voices joining its increasingly stacked cast. Matthew Mercer, Sam Riegel and Liam O’Brien will voice three of the game’s key characters, joining the previously announced Iggy Pop. More cast members are still due to be revealed before release.
Players don’t have to wait until January to start managing the band. A free demo is available now on Steam and includes the first two episodes, with a third episode planned for Steam Next Fest.
Critical Role’s growing move into games continues after its work on Dispatch, which became one of SavePoint Gaming’s standout narrative games of 2025.
Manage Gigs, Egos and a ’90s Grunge Band
ROCKBEASTS is a story-driven management RPG set in an alternative version of 1990s America populated by anthropomorphic characters. Players become the manager of an aspiring grunge band trying to go from playing garages to filling stadiums.
That means booking gigs and scheduling rehearsals, but also managing limited resources, fragile personalities and the compromises that come with trying to make it in the music industry. Choices will affect relationships, reputation and the band’s future, including decisions about when to protect its creative identity and when commercial success might require giving something up.
Narrative director Jakub Szamałek, whose credits include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Blood of Dawnwalker, leads the writing. The game will also feature 17 original full-length tracks drawing on 1990s alternative rock.
ROCKBEASTS Demo Expands at Steam Next Fest
The current demo covers the first two episodes of the band’s journey, giving players their first extended look at how the management systems and character-driven storytelling fit together. A third episode will then be added during Steam Next Fest, expanding the preview ahead of the full release.
The game has already picked up some recognition ahead of release, including Excellence in Audio at the DevGAMM Awards, alongside nominations at DevGAMM and Gamescom. For now, anyone curious whether they can keep a band together long enough to reach stadium glory can already start finding out through the free Steam demo.
ROCKBEASTS is ultimately planned for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A specific January launch date has not yet been announced.
