Critical Role is expanding its nerd empire. One longtime partner is about to be left in the dust.

Robyn von Swank

• Critical Role is taking another step toward reigning supreme over nerd world for years to come.
• They built a 1.3 million-strong following on Twitch. Now, they're launching their own subscription service.
• It's a daring gambit for one of Twitch's top earners — and potentially a huge loss for the platform.

In the not-too-distant future...