Critical Role: Why Orion Acaba Left The Show & What Happened To His Character
While "Critical Role" has become a household name for "Dungeons & Dragons" players worldwide, many may not know there was once a ninth member of the beloved group of voice actors. Orion Acaba appeared in the first 27 episodes of "Campaign One: Vox Machina," where he brought the dragonborn sorcerer Tiberius Stormwind to life.
However, in January 2016, "Critical Role," Geek & Sundry, and Acaba announced that he would no longer appear on the "D&D" live streams, and plans were set to write Tiberius Stormwind out of the campaign. This announcement came with its fair share of secrecy, with none of the parties involved revealing much information about Acaba's departure. Eventually, the voice actor released a statement on his Twitch channel, saying he left on his own accord, wanting to pursue other ambitions without impeding the campaign or the rest of the players. Acaba also stated that health issues influenced his decision to leave "Critical Role."
As for Acaba's character within Exandria, Tiberius Stormwind informed Vox Machina that he'd be leaving the group, stating that their paths were going in different directions. Eventually, their adventures took them to Draconia, Tiberius's homeland, where they found their friend's body frozen in ice. Tiberius met his end protecting his home from the dragon Vorugal, and Vox Machina buried their friend, erecting a statue in his honor.
Fans think there was more to Orion Acaba's departure
Of course, despite "Critical Role," Geek & Sundry, and Orion Acaba all releasing statements as to why the voice actor left the "Dungeons & Dragons" series, fans have done their own research, trying to get to the bottom of what went down behind the scenes.
On Reddit, u/GoneRampant1 broke down the entire situation regarding Acaba and "Critical Role," presenting a whole timeline of events they believe led to the voice actor departing the series. In the thread, the user detailed many instances of Acaba showing "Main Character Syndrome," believing they're the most important character in the party, and often making themselves the center of attention. These are two things you don't want to do in "D&D," as it takes away from the other players' experiences, but it seems like Acaba did a lot of that during his time on "Critical Role."
While that can be annoying for the other players, the thread also suggests Acaba was guilty of plenty of other "D&D" no-nos which were more or less cheating. He would "metagame," meaning he used his knowledge as a real person to alter what his character was doing, despite Tiberius Stormwind not having the same information as Acaba. He also allegedly rerolled dice that didn't result in a favorable outcome for his character, frequently acted against party members, and even tried to one-up Mercer, the DM, on multiple occasions. Add on the many awkward situations he caused with inappropriate comments, especially toward the end of his tenure, and you have the reasons why many fans believe "Critical Role" never fully revealed why Acaba is no longer part of the tabletop series.