Tomb Raider: Catalyst picks up "years after" 2008's Underworld, finally continuing Lara Croft's story from the Legend trilogy after almost two decades

Tomb Raider: Catalyst
(Image credit: Amazon Games)

Ever the abundance of riches, The Game Awards gave us not one but two bits of Tomb Raider announcements. We've got Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a full reimagining of the first PS1 game, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a more forward-looking entry in the franchise that picks up the timeline where the Legend trilogy left off.

Before 2013's Tomb Raider rebooted Lara Croft's story, Underworld in 2008 capped off a three-game arc for the intrepid adventurer. The 2013 entry's success led to a full trilogy of prequels, leaving Lara's more contemporaneous happenings to fall by the wayside.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst Teaser Trailer - YouTube Tomb Raider: Catalyst Teaser Trailer - YouTube
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Despite following up a game that'll be 19 years old by the time Catalyst is out (sorry), Kerslake is keen to point out fans won't need to dig out their Xbox 360s for a refresher. "What's important to know is that this is a new chapter in Tomb Raider," he states. "So whether you followed Lara from the start, or this is your first Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: Catalyst is designed to stand on its own as an adventure that can be enjoyed by everyone."

The setup is classic Lara: she's called to Northern India, where some long-hidden architecture has been uncovered, and she has to deal with some rival relic hunters while trying to figure out the significance of these ruins herself.

There'll be puzzles, gunplay, and plenty of ledge-jumping, in what looks like a stunning environment, going by the first trailer. Tomb Raider: Catalyst arrives in 2027, while Legacy of Atlantis can keep you busy in 2026.

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Anthony McGlynn
Contributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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