It is actually known that Crystal Dynamics is already working on a new Tomb Raider. The fact that the new game is being developed in cooperation with Amazon Games is a real surprise.
That’s a big surprise. After the takeover of Crystal Dynamics by the Embracer Group, it was unclear whether and what would happen with regard to a new Tomb Raider. Hardly anyone had in mind that the new game would be created together with Amazon Games. The agreement with the new owner apparently means that the studio can look for partners outside of the Swedish media group, especially since the brands went to the various developer studios after the takeover.
The as-yet-untitled new Tomb Raider game is set to be a single-player narrative adventure that will continue the story of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series. It aims to include all of the elements that have made Tomb Raider one of the most popular franchises: exploration and creative pathfinding, tricky puzzles, and a variety of enemies.
Crystal Dynamics uses Unreal Engine 5 for the new game. The title is currently in an early stage of development and more details are expected to be announced at a later date. To what extent the new title has anything to do with the new Tomb Raider launched under the care of Square Enix is not known. According to the statements, however, it could conceptually be a complete restart after the influence of the former publisher and Crystal Dynamics owner Square Enix no longer plays a role and the studio can implement its own ideas. In 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider was the last installment in the series.
“Crystal Dynamics, following its acquisition by Embracer, has an exceptional opportunity to redefine a publishing relationship for Tomb Raider”
The agreement with Crystal Dynamics represents a further expansion of Amazon Games’ AAA publishing efforts, which also include Smilegate RPG’s Lost Ark and Bandai Namco’s recently announced Blue Protocol.
A Definitive Edition of Shadow of the Tomb Raider is now available.
