“Charismatic, confident, and cool”: Lara Croft returns with two new Tomb Raider games | games

After Lara Croft’s long break, new Tomb Raider adventures are on her way. They will be the first new games in the series since 2018, and will be published by Amazon.

Announced at the Game Awards in Los Angeles, Tomb Raider Catalyst stars Lara Croft, the charismatic, confident and brilliant character from the original 1990s games, says game director Will Kerslake. Set in the markets, mountains, and of course, ancient buildings of northern India, Lara races with other treasure hunters to track down potentially disastrous artifacts. It will be released in 2027.

Catalyst is being developed at Crystal Dynamics, the California developer that has been behind Tomb Raider since 2003. Crystal Dynamics previously developed Tomb Raiders Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld, as well as the reboot trilogy that featured a younger, more vulnerable Lara. Its most recent game in the series was 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is being developed in collaboration with Flying Wild Hog in Poland. Featuring modern combat and remastered tomb-digging puzzles, the game is an “expanded” reimagining of Lara Croft’s first adventure in 1996, which made her one of gaming’s most iconic characters. “Our goal was to honor the spirit of the original Core Design game, while modernizing the experience players experience today including building it using Unreal Engine 5,” says Kerslake. “We see this as a reimagining of the original game with a gaming experience that wasn’t possible on technology at the time.” Legacy of Atlantis will be released in 2026.

In both games, Croft will be played by British actor Alex Wilton Regan, who previously had significant roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition and Cyberpunk 2077. She was also scheduled to play Joanna Dark in the canceled remake of the 2000 spy game Perfect Dark.

Despite the series’ recent hiatus, Tomb Raider still has massive brand recognition, which was built during its 1990s heyday. Amazon also has a TV series in the works with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, starring Sophie Turner as Croft. Over the course of 30 years, Croft has played everything from a Playboy character to a tough wilderness adventurer to a suave action heroine.

“Our goal throughout the series is to show that Lara is always evolving,” says Kerslake. “Her core DNA will remain, but we think it’s important to show how each adventure shapes her character over time.”