According to the official announcement, the next Tomb Raider game will use Unreal Engine 5 so that it can deliver “next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences.” Judging by how amazing even 2013’s reboot looks after using Crystal Dynamics’ in-house Foundation engine, we can only imagine what kind of vision the Perfect Dark studio has for its upcoming Tomb Raider outing, especially now that it’s looking to redeem itself after disappointing fans and Square Enix with Marvel’s Avengers.
— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) April 5, 2022 Eidos-Montréal’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider is canon to the Survivor trilogy, confirming that the next globetrotting adventure for Lara Croft is a sequel. However, Crystal Dynamics did mention last year that they want to unify the timelines of all the Tomb Raider games, suggesting that the next time we see Lara, everything that has happened before could be considered canon. Considering everyone’s infatuation with the multiverse these days, we wouldn’t be surprised if Crystal Dynamics uses this fascination for the plot device to its advantage. Unfortunately, neither Crystal Dynamics nor Square Enix offered a timeline for when fans can expect to see the new Tomb Raider game come out. However, upon further sleuthing, fans have made the connection that Jeff Ross, Days Gone’s lead developer at Sony’s Bend Studio, had just joined Crystal Dynamics as the director of an unannounced game. Although Ross did not reveal which Crystal Dynamics game he is working on, it doesn’t take an archeologist to put two and two together to know that Ross is most likely spearheading the studio’s nth Tomb Raider project. At the moment, Crystal Dynamics is working on Marvel’s Avengers while helping out Microsoft’s The Initiative on a new Perfect Dark game. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider fans don’t have to wait long to see Lara in action again. Even if no games are coming soon, Square Enix did release the Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy last year, which compiles all the three games included in the aforementioned trilogy along with all the extra content. Also, Netflix is working on animated Tomb Raider series with Tasha Huo as the writer and executive producer.
