Lara Croft is swinging back into action — this time with Amazon.
Amazon Games and game studio Crystal Dynamics, developer of the long-running “Tomb Raider” franchise, announced an agreement under which Crystal Dynamics will develop a new multiplatform title in the series, with Amazon Games “providing full support and publishing the game globally.”
For now, details are sparse: The next “Tomb Raider” game doesn’t have a name or target release date. The companies said it will be a single-player, narrative-driven adventure that “continues Lara Croft’s story” and will be set in an environment “that rewards exploration and creative pathfinding, with mind-bending puzzles to solve, and a wide variety of enemies to face and overcome.” Crystal Dynamics is developing the game on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.
“’Tomb Raider’ is one of the most beloved IPs in entertainment history,” Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games, said in a statement. “Our team is incredibly excited about collaborating with the talented and visionary Crystal Dynamics team to bring the next chapter of Lara Croft’s saga to players around the world.”
Square Enix, which previously published the “Tomb Raider” games, sold Crystal Dynamics to Sweden-based Embracer Group in May 2022.
“Crystal Dynamics has an extraordinary opportunity following our acquisition by Embracer to redefine what a publishing relationship is for ‘Tomb Raider,’” added Scot Amos, head of studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Transformative is what we’re looking for, and with Amazon Games, we found a team that shares our creative vision, ambitions, and values for a Lara Croft universe across the spectrum of possibilities.”
Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider franchise includes more than 20 video games, which have sold more than 95 million copies since the first entry was released in 1996. The most recent release, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” marked the conclusion of Lara Croft’s origin story. The game has been adapted into movies starring Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, and a “Tomb Raider” anime series for Netflix has been in the works at Legendary Television.
The forthcoming “Tomb Raider” title is the next initiative for Amazon Games’ growing roster of externally developed titles, following the February 2022 release of “Lost Ark,” developed by Smilegate RPG. Other recently announced projects include “Blue Protocol” with Bandai Namco announced last week at the Game Awards; Disruptive Games’ upcoming online multiplayer action-adventure game based on original intellectual property; and an online co-op experience based on original IP by Glowmade, out of Guildford, England.
