The Natural Six travels from EGX 2023 to MCM Comic Con x EGX 2024

In just over a week, MCM Comic Con x EGX will take place in London, a full year after Natural Six hosted their Season 0.5 in front of a live audience at EGX 2023 and launched their Kickstarter to crowdfund the ten-episode series. The team is returning to center stage this year for a special one-shot, launching their new merch line, and meeting and greeting fans.

For those who don't already know, Natural Six is ​​a UK-based Dungeons and Dragons real-play video series featuring Ben Starr (Clive Rosefield in Final Fantasy 16), Doug Cockle (Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher). 3), Alex Jordan (Mr. Hands in Cyberpunk 2077), Holly Bennett (Square Enix, formerly PlayStation Access), Aoife Wilson (Larian Studios), and Harry McIntyre (Noah in Xenoblade Chronicles 3) as the Dungeon Master.

The Natural Six could have held their debut entirely online, but instead, Wilson tells me, the team “liked the idea of ​​something big, to start things off with a bang,” and so they kept coming back to the idea of ​​a live show as they discussed it. Campaign and Kickstarter launch. “It felt a bit like we decided to dive free from the cliff – once we did it, there was no going back. I was working for Reed Pop, the company that owned and ran EGX at the time, so I very tentatively pitched the idea to the organizers, who were miraculously up for it.

However, McEntire says coming up with Season 0.5 was “a bit of a challenge” as they had already recorded Season 0 for the Natural Six Kickstarter, and after starting work on Episode 1 for the 'proper' start of their D&D campaign. The team didn't want to confuse the timelines or make viewers feel like they were missing out if they hadn't seen season 0.5, so they had to make sure it was entertaining while not important to their overall story.

“Once we found out we had a slot at EGX, I wanted to write something that didn't detract from the story in Episode 1 but gave us a chance to play around a bit, and play well in front of an audience,” McEntire tells me. “A masked force and a murder felt like they would do the trick: silliness, a lot of role-playing, but not a lot of combat to get into.”

Having attended Session 0.5 last year, I can tell you firsthand that the turnout was great and even better, the event was a huge success. Seeing Natural Six at EGX was the first time I saw others play D&D, and I imagine I wasn't alone in this. The live event encouraged newcomers to take a peek and engage with something they might not have otherwise.

“If we're all going on this adventure together, there's no greater proof than filling a hall full of people and saying, 'Hey everyone, we're here, there's no going back,'” says Jordan. “Also, as an artist who has mixed all mediums, the joy of live audience response is something that cannot be duplicated. The buzz that comes from not just hearing the response but feeling the atmosphere in the room, it's unbeatable. How our audience can feel when they watch our episodes. Getting that feeling was invaluable in setting the tone going forward.

“It allowed us to show not only in a controlled space like our chemistry studio, but also live,” adds Bennett. “I think it helped showcase our ability. And now, a year later, we're back to do it again – hopefully without me rolling two Nat 1s in a row this time!”

Cockle says that returning to EGX this year is “like coming full circle, except it's not the end of the circle but the continuation of it” and hopes that this year will be even better than before. “It will be a celebration of how far we've come in such a short period of time and we're looking forward to celebrating with all the Nets Sixers who have helped so much this past year and hopefully making some new friends along the way.”

Natural Six will host D&D on Center Stage at MCM Comic Con x EGX on Friday the 25th at 4:30pm. Before that, you can catch up with them at the Script to Screen: The Journey of Voice Acting panel on the Career Stage at 1:30 p.m.

On Saturday the 26th, Cockle and McEntire will be in the meet and greet zone from 11:00am to 12:30pm, while the entire Natural Six cast will be there between 4:45pm and 6:00pm.

A year later, Natural Six has an even bigger fanbase, Jordan told me, with people even traveling from overseas to see the show this year. “Last time we introduced these characters to everyone in attendance, this year for many it will be an event where they come to see their favorite characters,” he says. “That pre-existing relationship will change the program in ways I can't yet anticipate, but I know it will be a beautiful feeling of growth and development.”

MCM Comic Con x EGX will be Natural Six's second live show, but there's always room for more. McEntire tells me the team “loves doing live shows” and they're especially looking forward to this next live session because they're “fully developed” with “jokes and everything.”

“I think it's a monthly highlight for all of us when we get to sit down and roll the dice together,” says McEntire. “But you sometimes forget that people are watching, listening to this story and we're creating it together. It's an amazing feeling to be in front of our community of fans and have the opportunity to share the show with them.”

Natural Six is ​​debuting its merchandise line at MCM Comic Con x EGX but is “keeping it simple for now” and selling only individually with just a few key items to test the waters. They plan to eventually launch an online store, so don't worry about missing out.

The entire team is incredibly proud of how far Natural Six has come in the past year, and they especially appreciate the community that has rallied around to support them. While all artists express their joy in making it and accomplishing what they set out to do, McEntire added that “when you work in the creative industries, people always have ideas, but it takes a special kind of chemistry to get the right people. The right places to bring that idea to life.” .

“I can only describe my experience with D&D as therapy for millennials (in a good way, I promise),” Bennett tells me. “I've had to deal with a lot of things that make me nervous, especially doing D&D as a creative entertainment endeavor rather than a domestic game around the kitchen table.”

Although Natural Six was originally planned as a ten-episode series, it continues to grow and delight fans and the team has no intention of stopping anytime soon. “We want to keep telling this story as long as people want to hear it. We want this to be a journey that lasts for years,” says McIntyre.

“I want to do this forever,” Jordan says. “As an actor, you live your life wondering if someone wants to work with you on something you've created, but at this moment we're creating something for ourselves. It's a whole new feeling and I love it. Cultivating something, developing it, thinking outside the box. , it's true joy.”

Bennett told me, “This is the first time in my entire career that all the blood, sweat, and tears haven't been for someone else. Don't get me wrong—I've worked on some amazing games and projects, but I've never owned or part owned them. For the first time, it's ours. This incredible group of friends I'm creating this with – we own it.