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

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.

Crystal Dynamics is finally picking up the threads of Tomb Raider's latter-day happenings. "From a timeline perspective, Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set years after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld," Will Kerslake, game director at developer Crystal Dynamics, told GamesRadar+, "with the reboot trilogy serving as her origin story, so we're seeing a more experienced Lara Croft."

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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.

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics continues to bleed out, laying off "under 30" more employees in third cut of the year: "The realities of the industry continue to evolve."