D&D Rolls the Dice On New “Dungeon Masters” Actual Play

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Wizards of the Coast has just announced the launch of a new official Dungeons & Dragons actual play series. Entitled Dungeon Masters, the show will debut on YouTube on April 22nd, 2026, with a two-episode premiere. It be produced entirely by Wizards of the COast and feature official content from a number of upcoming D&D products.

The cast includes several popular figures from the TTRPG and D&D actual play scene, with Jasmine Bhullar serving as as the Dungeon Master, alongside actors Mayanna Berrin, Christian Navarro, Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde (the latter two being best known for their voice acting work in the Baldur’s Gate 3 video game).

While Wizards of the Coast has spearheaded a number of official actual play series over the years, most have been one-offs and none have ever reached the level of popularity of series like Critical Role and Dimension 20. This new iteration, however, promises a high production value, the official D&D license and a number of popular figures, meaning it could potentially reach a massive audience.

Below, we take a closer look at all what to expect when the Dungeon Masters D&D actual play hits YouTube.

What is the new Dungeon Masters D&D actual play series about?

The first campaign arc will take place in Ravenloft and will feature content taken directly from the upcoming sourcebook Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. It will also be a tie-in to the ongoing D&D Season of Horror running from April to June which features a number of related products and events.

The series will also feature a variety of high-end, custom bilt sets along with the use of miniatures and terrain, with initial footage suggesting it will have relatively high production values

In an official press release, Senior Vice President and Head of Dungeons & Dragons Dan Ayoub notes that: “Dungeon Masters brings a truly authentic and original experience to our fans, with all of the fun, high-tension moments, drama and adventure built from official D&D material. In many ways, Dungeon Masters is our love letter to the actual play shows that have introduced so many to D&D. Our aim with Dungeon Masters is to crystallize all that’s great about actual play – the tension, drama, and unpredictable nature – and put our stamp on it with upcoming official source material. We’re so excited to see how Dungeon Masters can inspire even more adventure from our players, and in turn, see how they inspire us to make the show better and better.” 

The series also appears to be part of the new D&D franchise model which Ayoub has spearheaded and is designed to bring all of the D&D brand under one umbrella, rather than fragmenting it between the game, media tie-ins and licensing.

Who is the cast of the Dungeon Masters D&D actual play?

The cast includes the following:

• Jasmine Bhullar will serve as DM. She is perhaps best known for her appearances as a player in episodes of DesiQuest and Dimension 20
• Mayanna Berrin is an actress best known for her voice acting in the video game Dispatch as well as appearing in the StoryQuest actual play. She will be playing a Grave Domain Cleric named Wesley.
• Christian Navarro is an actor best known for the TV series 13 Reasons Why but also played in the official D&D actual one shot Forgotten Realms: Tears of Selune. He will be playing a Winter Walker Ranger named Eloin.
•  Neil Newbon is an actor who is best known for voicing the character of Astarion from the Baldur’s Gate 3 video game, but has also appeared in a number of actual play episodes. He will be playing a Reanimator Artificer named Crem.
•  Devora Wilde is an actress and motion capturer performer best known for voicing the character of Lae’zel from BG3, and has also made frequent appearances in several D&D actual play episodes. She will be playing a Hexblood Shadow Sorcerer named Zora.

Notably, the series will also feature an original score from five-time, Grammy-nominated composer David Arkenstone.

When will the episodes air and how can you watch them?

The first two episodes of Dungeon Masters will air on Wednesday, April 22nd at 6:30pm PT on the official D&D YouTube channel. Subsequent episodes will then air weekly (although it’s not clear how many episodes there will be in total).

Notably, all of the episodes will be available for free (which hasn’t been the case with recent actual play series, such as Critical Role, which does require a subscription to watch episodes when they’re first released).  

What other tie-in products are also available?

Wizards of the Coast is also releasing what they refer to as “Play Along Packs” that provide content featured in the show that Dungeon Masters can use to run their own encounters. For Dungeon Masters they’ve developed a Ravenloft Play-Along Pack that will be released on a weekly basis with ready-to-run encounters and quickplay maps inspired by the episode.

You’ll be able to claim the first encounter in the Ravenloft Play-Along Pack for free on D&D Beyond starting April 23rd, and subsequent packs will continue to be released weekly on Thursday mornings.

Final thoughts

Dungeons & Dragons owes much of its recent success to actual play series like Critical Role and Dimension 20. Yet until now Wizards of the Coast has never really taken the right steps to create their own show to tap into this audience. The inclusion of new content, however, makes the concept even more appealing. Whether or not this new series becomes a critical hit with fans, however, remains to be seen.

You can watch the first two episodes of Dungeon Masters on Wednesday, April 22nd at 6:30pm PT on YouTube.  Below is also a trailer with more info on what to expect.

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