Amazon Games working with Crystal Dynamics on next Tomb Raider
Lara Craft.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the next game in the Tomb Raider series was in development.
While details about this upcoming release are still thin on the ground, with even its name still remaining a mystery, today Amazon Games announced it will be working alongside developer Crystal Dynamics on the project.
Amazon will provide its "full support" to the team at Crystal Dynamics to bring this next Tomb Raider game to life, the company said today. On the game's release, Amazon Games will also act as its publisher.
In a joint press release, the two companies said Lara's next outing will be a "single-player, narrative-driven adventure" - a first for Amazon Games.
As with previous Tomb Raider games, this release will have "mind-bending puzzles to solve", with the promise of a "wide variety of enemies to face and overcome".
The game itself is still in the very early stages of development, but Amazon and Crystal claim it will become the "the biggest, most expansive Tomb Raider game to date".
Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics did not share any more specifics about the game itself, but assure us that more details will be announced "at a later date".
As part of this announcement, Crystal Dynamics head Scot Amos addressed the studio's recent acquisition by Embracer, stating this collaboration has allowed the team to "redefine what a publishing relationship is for Tomb Raider".
"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," Amos said today.
Back in April, it was announced that the next installment in the Tomb Raider series will be made in Unreal Engine 5.
Since then, Days Gone director Jeff Ross has joined the studio, although it has not been confirmed he is working specifically on that game.
In addition to Ross, former Call of Duty developer Belinda Garcia has confirmed she is working on "the future of Tomb Raider" as a narrative designer.
Meanwhile, the Tomb Raider film franchise has taken a bit of a stumble. Following its buyout by Amazon, MGM has lost the rights to make Tomb Raider movies.
This has resulted in a bidding war for the rights, with former Lara Croft actress Alicia Vikander no longer attached to the project.