If you are interested in the actual play scene, you have heard of Dimension 20. The actual play series, hosted by Brennan Lee Mulligan, has featured many imaginative TTRPG experiences. Now, after five years, they are returning to an old classic with Fantasy High Junior Year.
The Fantasy High Junior Year announcement
The announcement of Fantasy High Junior Year happened at the end of a Twitter/X thread by the official Dimension 20 account.
The thread recounts the long history of the actual play series as well as its own creative challenges. Back in 2018, Dimension 20 was a major departure for comedy company College Humor. In addition, it was the debut show for their streaming service: Dropout.
On top of that, unlike other series like Critical Role or the World of Darkness "X By Night" series, Dimension 20 is a TTRPG anthology series. Each campaign hosted would be a self-contained adventure in an original setting.
The very first campaign in the series was Fantasy High: a series that combined D&D, magic school shenanigans, and high school melodrama.
In this context, the announcement of Fantasy High Junior Year is a recognition of how far Dimension 20 has come as well as a return to the adventure that started it all.
But Fantasy High Junior Year isn't the only thing coming from Dimension 20. In an official YouTube video, for a few brief seconds, it confirms two more Dimension 20 campaigns. These include Dungeons and Drag Queens Season 2 and Dimension 20: Never Stop Blowing Up.
For the past five years, Dimension 20 has continued to grow in popularity. The campaigns have ranged from the detective romp of The Unsleeping City to the farcical A Crown of Candy to the dark fairytale of Nevermore. It has also showcased the DM talents of Gabe Hicks, Aabria Iyengar, and Jasmine Bhullar.
The 5th Anniversary of Dropout
Of course, the fifth anniversary of Dimension 20 also means the fifth anniversary of the Dropout streaming service. Much like Dimension 20, Dropout has grown as well, featuring improv comedy series aimed at its small but dedicated fanbase.
Shows on the platform include improv comedy series Make Some Noise and the comedy game show Game Changer. In fact, the platform has become so successful College Humor is officially rebranding itself to Dropout.
Dropout's CEO, Sam Reich had this to say on the platform's growth:
"Five years ago, we 'dropped out' of traditional media and went direct to our fans. We could never have imagined how meaningfully it would transform our business,” said Reich. “It has resulted in the healthiest, most creative, and most exciting version of the company to date. I stand shoulder to shoulder with our extraordinary talent, crew, and staff as we leave ‘college’ behind and continue to forge our own path. Turns out, this isn't just a gap year."
Fantasy High Junior Year will debut on Dropout in January 2024.
