Lara Croft has been quiet. Too quiet. Since the credits rolled on Shadow of the Tomb Raider back in 2018, fans have been dissecting every scrap of info like they’re hunting for a Trinity artifact in a Peruvian jungle. We're currently sitting in the longest gap between mainline entries in the franchise's history. That hurts. But honestly? The wait for the Tomb Raider new game is starting to look like it might actually be worth the gray hairs we’ve grown while waiting.
Crystal Dynamics is back in the driver's seat. After a brief period where Eidos-Montréal took over for Shadow, the original architects of the reboot trilogy are calling the shots again. But things are different this time. Square Enix is out of the picture. Embracer Group owns the IP now, and Amazon Games is the one cutting the checks for publishing. It’s a weird, multi-billion dollar corporate cocktail that has left a lot of people wondering if Lara is going to lose her soul in the process.
The Unreal Engine 5 Pivot and What It Actually Means
Back in April 2022, Crystal Dynamics dropped a bombshell during an Epic Games keynote. They’re ditching their proprietary Foundation engine—the tech that powered the last three games—to build the Tomb Raider new game on Unreal Engine 5.
That is a massive deal.
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The Foundation engine was gorgeous, sure, but UE5 brings Nanite and Lumen into the mix. Basically, we’re talking about lighting that behaves like real physics and geometry so dense you won’t see "jagged edges" on a temple wall ever again. It also means development should, theoretically, be faster because they aren't fighting with custom tools. Dallas Dickinson, the Tomb Raider Franchise General Manager, basically promised they are pushing the envelope of fidelity. They want "cinematic action-adventure," which is code for "we want to make Uncharted look like a PS2 game."
The move to Unreal Engine 5 isn't just about pretty grass. It's about scale. There are rumors—mostly originating from job listings at Crystal Dynamics—suggesting a shift toward a more "open-world" or at least "large-scale hub" approach. If you remember the Geothermal Valley in Rise of the Tomb Raider, imagine that, but ten times bigger and without a loading screen every time you squeeze through a crack in a wall.
Unifying the Timelines: The "Single Vision" Problem
This is where things get really crunchy for the lore nerds. Crystal Dynamics has explicitly stated their goal is to unify the timelines.
Think about that for a second.
You have the 1990s Core Design Lara—the dual-pistol wielding, backflipping, "I do this for sport" aristocrat. Then you have the 2013 Survivor Lara—the "I’m just trying to stay alive and maybe I have some trauma" version. Bridging those two is a narrative nightmare. How do you go from a girl who cries over killing a deer to a woman who locks her butler in a freezer and raids tombs because she's bored on a Tuesday?
Crystal Dynamics is calling this the "unified vision." We saw a glimpse of this "Unified Lara" in the Call of Duty crossover and the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered art. She’s got the teal tank top. She’s got the braid. She looks like a woman who has survived the 2013 shipwreck but has finally found her confidence.
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The Tomb Raider new game is expected to take place after all the existing games. Lara is no longer an "origin story" character. She’s an expert. Honestly, thank god for that. Most fans are tired of seeing her "become" the Tomb Raider. We just want her to be the Tomb Raider.
The Amazon Connection
Amazon Games is publishing. That raised some eyebrows. People immediately jumped to "Is it going to be an MMO?" or "Is it a live-service grind-fest?"
Relax.
Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games, has been pretty vocal about wanting to publish high-quality single-player experiences. They aren't trying to turn Lara Croft into a Destiny 2 character. What Amazon brings is money—lots of it—and a transmedia plan. There’s a Phoebe Waller-Bridge scripted series coming to Prime Video. There was an anime on Netflix. The Tomb Raider new game is the anchor for an entire ecosystem. Amazon wants Lara to be their version of Indiana Jones, and they need a prestige gaming title to make that happen.
Gameplay Rumors: More Than Just Climbing Ice Walls
If you look at the industry trends and what Crystal Dynamics has been hiring for, we can make some very educated guesses about the mechanics of the Tomb Raider new game.
- Tactical Stealth: Expect more than just hiding in bushes. We’re likely looking at more complex environmental interactions.
- Vehicular Exploration: Rumors of a motorbike or specialized vehicles have persisted for months. If the maps are as big as UE5 allows, you can't just walk everywhere.
- The "Team" Dynamic: There were some leaked casting calls (codenamed "Project Jawbreaker") that suggested Lara might be leading a team of fellow raiders. This is polarizing. Some fans want Lara to be a lone wolf. Others think having a crew to bounce dialogue off of would make the "unified" Lara feel more human and less like a silent killing machine.
The "Jawbreaker" leak described a Lara who is dealing with a world that knows about the supernatural now. It's no longer her little secret. There are other people hunting these artifacts, and she might be acting more like a mentor. If that's true, it’s a bold direction. It shifts the stakes from "personal survival" to "global legacy."
What to Expect in 2026 and Beyond
We haven't seen a trailer yet. We haven't even seen a formal title. "Tomb Raider Next" or "Tomb Raider IV" are just placeholders people use on Reddit.
But the silence is likely going to break soon.
Crystal Dynamics finished their work on Marvel’s Avengers (the less said about that, the better) and they are no longer supporting Perfect Dark as the primary dev (they are "supporting" The Initiative). This means the bulk of the studio is finally focused on Lara.
We are likely looking at a full reveal sometime in late 2025 or early 2026, with a release window shortly after. Games of this scale take 5-6 years now. Since they started pre-production around 2020-2021, the math adds up.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players
While we wait for the official drop, there are a few things you should actually do to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the Netflix Anime: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is actually canon. It bridges the gap between Shadow and the original 1996 game. If you want to understand how she gets from "Survivor" to "Superstar," that show is the roadmap.
- Play the Remasters: The Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection isn't just a cash grab. It was a test of the "Unified Lara" aesthetic. Notice the controls and the environmental clues—they're hints at what the devs think is "essential" Tomb Raider.
- Follow the "Project Jawbreaker" Updates: While "Jawbreaker" is a codename, searching for it on gaming news sites usually yields the most recent casting and script leaks. Just take them with a grain of salt.
- Monitor Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demos: If you want to see what the Tomb Raider new game will actually look like, go watch the "Electric Dreams" UE5 demo. The jungle assets in that demo are almost certainly a preview of the fidelity Crystal Dynamics is aiming for.
Lara Croft is coming back. She’s just taking her time to make sure she doesn't trip over her own legacy. The shift to Amazon and Unreal Engine 5 suggests a scale we haven't seen before. This isn't just another sequel; it's a total recalibration of what an action-adventure game can be in the mid-2020s. Keep your eyes on the major gaming showcases—the next chapter is closer than it feels.