If a game refers to their game master as the Dungeon Master, WotC would throw a fit. If someone using a system with a Game Master role was live streaming and calling themself the Dungeon Master, WotC would address it. Anyone live streaming D&D and using the term while playing any edition of D&D is going to be ok unless their stream is offensive.
Also, there are a lot of other videos out there with dungeon masters ... but the context is quite different.
Why (would anyone leave Critical Role)? They are all friends and business partners - why would you think someone is leaving? And what makes you think it would be Sam?
Seems like you are kind of wildly speculating here based on ... I’m not sure what ...
The lack of stating they'll all be back for Season 3 after we see a 'change in cast' in the form of EXU, as well as at any point before it, is a little suspicious. Not terribly, but a little. However, Sam, specifically, has shown signs of fatigue and conflicting interests.
Don't get me wrong: The man has had fun at the game, but of all the people there, he has been the one that treated it most like a professional engagement. He makes character decisions in the game to serve the campaign story more than to play his character's story. He's discussed this on Talks Machina, and you can see it on stream when he holds back. He looked disappointed when Veth's healing curse was discovered before it killed Veth, for example.
Additionally, he has a career out there that is in conflict with Critical Role's time demands in a different way than the rest, and a home life that he clearly values and wants to focus on. He has had more business side activity than the others on Critical Role in his industry. He talks about family a lot, and Veth's storylines seemed to hit real close to home. Telling a story in which a parent does something they want to do with their friends at the expense of their family at home - that included the death of a child as a result of the parent's choices - was not exactly motivation for him to continue.
I'm not saying it is a done deal, or that it would be forever, but I could see Sam not starting with the group at the start of Campaign 3. I could also see it for a few of the others as they take a break to focus on other issues.
We should consider that at the core, this is still a D&D game. Many players need to take a break at times, especially when other parts of life take up more of your time, but sometimes just because you need a break from gaming.
So, does "Unlimited" refer to the number of PCs? Because eight episodes sounds limited to me.
This is going to be the first of a number of "beta" games. I'm betting it is limited so that they can evolve what they're doing for the future. Whether some of these people may replace existing players in Season 3, or if they'll have a beta game that is entirely new people that runs for a full length, or something else, this is the trial run. There will be more EXU in the future. I think any game not run by Matt and taking place in Exandria will get the label of EXU.
