EnglishVideoGames - Tomb Raider: Amazon games and Crystal Dynamics strike a deal to develop and publish the next major installment in the iconic series
By Mulder, 15 december 2022
Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics announced today that they have reached an agreement to develop a new cross-platform Tomb Raider title, with full support from Amazon Games to publish it worldwide.
This new Tomb Raider game, as yet untitled, is a single-player narrative adventure that continues the story of Lara Croft. It includes all of the elements that make Tomb Raider one of the most beloved franchises in video games, allowing players to play as Lara Croft, the courageous, multi-faceted heroine, in environments that emphasize exploration and puzzle-solving, with clever puzzles and a wide variety of enemies to defeat. Crystal Dynamics is leveraging the power and advanced technology of the Unreal Engine 5 to deliver innovative storytelling in what will be the largest and most expansive of all Tomb Raider games. The game is currently in early development and further details will be revealed at a later date.
"Tomb Raider is one of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history," said Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games. "Amazon Games is committed to delivering high-quality games from the best developers for all kinds of platforms and in all genres. We are honored to be working with this development studio on this legendary franchise. Our teams are incredibly excited to collaborate with Crystal Dynamics and their inventive and visionary talents to bring the next chapter of the Lara Croft saga to gamers around the world."
"Since our acquisition by Embracer, Crystal Dynamics has a tremendous opportunity to redefine the foundation of a Tomb Raider publishing relationship," said Scot Amos, head of the Crystal Dynamics studio. "We were looking for some form of transformation and with Amazon Games we have found a team that shares our creative vision, ambitions and values to break new ground in the Lara Croft universe. They are ideally positioned to renew the collaboration between publishing and development, and we look forward to charting this new course together, starting with creating the best and most expansive Tomb Raider game ever!"
Over the past three decades, Crystal Dynamics has developed and published dozens of award-winning titles, with beloved franchises like Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider. The latter includes more than 20 video games, is beloved by more than 170 million people worldwide, and has sold more than 95 million copies since the first release in 1996. The latest trilogy, "Survivor," consisting of Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) has garnered more than 200 "Best of" awards and nominations.
The deal with Crystal Dynamics marks another expansion by Amazon Games in its publishing operations for AAA titles, which include Smilegate RPG's Lost Ark and Bandai Namco Online Inc.'s recently announced Blue Protocol. The upcoming Tomb Raider title will be Amazon Games' first single-player narrative game following the success of multiplayer titles New World and Lost Ark.
To keep up with the latest Amazon Games news, visit amazongames.com.
(Source: Press Release)