Head of studio at Crystal Dynamics, Scot Amos, says that the upcoming Tomb Raider: Catalyst will be the biggest entry in the series to date. He also claims it is a "complete adventure top to bottom," so people won't need to know Lara Croft's "pre-history" to enjoy it.
At The Game Awards 2025, Crystal Dynamics showcased two new games for the series: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a remake of the original game scheduled for release in 2026, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a completely new entry to the franchise launching in 2027.
In a virtual Q&A event afterwards, attended by GamesRadar+, Amos explained how Catalyst will fit into the long-running series. "For longtime fans, it's one of those moments where this is the furthest point in [Lara Croft's] career," Amos explains. "This is really where she is right now. Everything else is her history."
While Catalyst takes place after every other Tomb Raider game, Amos wants to assure those who would be new to the series that they don't need to be au fait with Lara's entire lore.
"We've designed Catalyst so that players can jump in right now and pick up with her adventures as is, like I say, there's no homework required," Amos says. "You can jump right into Catalyst and feel this [is a] complete adventure top to bottom, and understand the story and the characters without having to know any of that pre-history."
Everyone will have the same experience of the setting, whether you're a super fan of the series or not. Tomb Raider: Catalyst's takes place in a country that is completely new to Lara, as she embarks on her first adventure in northern India. Amos claims that the region has "really vast and varied landscapes as well that are just begging to be explored."
"It is the largest Tomb Raider that we've made to date," Amos says. "So we're super excited about bringing this experience to everyone."
Following Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis reveal, series co-creator says he'd prefer "exploring new lost worlds" over more remakes.
