Critical Role ends Soldiers' arc and splits into rotating tables

Episode 11 of Critical Role's Campaign 4 delivered a clear narrative handoff, closing the Soldiers' arc and setting the series on a new path of rotating tables. The episode was released January 15, 2026, in the Thursday 7pm PT slot, with VOD and cooldown timing listed on the Beacon schedule the same day. Community discussion surged in the hours after broadcast and into January 16, 2026, as live threads and viewing-metrics trackers documented viewer reaction and episode runtime details.

The most immediate impact was narrative: the episode’s emotional campfire scenes provided closure for the Soldiers' storylines, while mechanics at the table introduced a formal split that will push viewers into the next sequence of episodes. Critical Role is moving to a West-Marches-style rotation among multiple player groups, and Episode 11 marks the point where that structural shift begins. The rotation will follow the Schemers/Seekers sequence, so upcoming broadcasts will alternate focus according to that table split.

Audience behavior reflected the change. Live discussion threads filled with scene-by-scene reactions during and after the stream, and community tracking pages recorded heavy engagement across January 15 and 16. Reported viewing metrics and thread activity cataloged highlights from the episode and captured the immediate online conversation in the hours after the live broadcast. Fans concentrated on the emotional beats of the campfire scenes and the practical implications of a rotating table, debating how character arcs will continue across separate groups and which threads to follow next.

For viewers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: plan your watch and discussion strategy around the Schemers/Seekers rotation. Expect VOD availability following the 7pm PT broadcast per Beacon scheduling; monitor live threads and community trackers for updates on runtime and episode-specific meta discussion. If you usually follow a single player’s table, be prepared to jump between feeds as the rotation unfolds and table split mechanics route storylines into different upcoming episodes.

Looking ahead, Campaign 4’s new format promises a fresher, modular viewing experience that spreads spotlight time across multiple groups. The Soldiers' arc has closed neatly, and what comes next will test how tight community tracking and coordinated viewing habits can keep pace with a rotating schedule.