Lara Croft isn't exactly a stranger to drama, but the rise of the tomb raider game release date saga was a whole different kind of mountain to climb. Honestly, if you were a PlayStation fan back in 2014, you probably remember the collective "Wait, what?" that echoed across the internet when Microsoft dropped the news at Gamescom. It wasn't just a release date; it was a total curveball that changed how we think about timed exclusives.
Let's talk dates.
The game first hit shelves on November 10, 2015. If you had an Xbox One or an Xbox 360, you were golden. You got to jump into the Siberian wilderness while everyone else was stuck watching YouTube walkthroughs and trying to avoid spoilers. It was a bold move for Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix. They basically bet that the partnership with Microsoft would give them the "oomph" they needed to compete with the big hitters that holiday season.
The Xbox Launch and That "Timed" Confusion
The initial launch was November 10, 2015, in North America and November 13 in Europe. But here's the kicker: the messaging was super vague at first. Microsoft called it an "exclusive," then a "timed exclusive," and people were legitimately mad. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, eventually had to step in and clarify that the deal had a duration. It wasn't a permanent marriage; it was more like a long, expensive weekend.
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The Xbox 360 port is actually a bit of a technical miracle, by the way. While the Xbox One version was the flagship, the 360 version—handled by Nixxes Software—proved that the old hardware still had some fight left in it. It lacked the fancy "TressFX" hair physics and some of the denser foliage, but it played surprisingly well.
Moving to PC and the Long Wait for PS4
PC gamers didn't have to wait nearly as long as the blue team. The Rise of the Tomb Raider game release date for Windows arrived on January 28, 2016. This version was the one to get if you wanted to see what the engine could really do. We’re talking 4K support, HBAO+, and much better tessellation. If you had the rig for it, Lara’s trek through the Prophet’s Tomb looked absolutely stunning compared to the console launch.
Then came the PlayStation 4 crowd. They had to wait an entire year.
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Finally, on October 11, 2016, the game launched on PS4 under the title Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. To make up for the year-long delay, Square Enix packed in everything:
- The "Blood Ties" story chapter (with VR support).
- "Lara’s Nightmare" zombie mode.
- All previous DLC like Baba Yaga: The Temple of the Witch.
- A co-op version of the Endurance mode.
It was a peace offering. A "sorry we made you wait" gift box.
Why the Staggered Release Still Matters Today
Looking back, the staggered rise of the tomb raider game release date actually impacted the game's momentum. It launched on the exact same day as Fallout 4. Talk about bad timing. Even though it was a critical darling—sitting comfortably with an 86 on Metacritic—the sales were a bit slow at the start because half the gaming population couldn't buy it yet.
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Interestingly, this release strategy is why the game feels so "complete" if you buy it now. Most people pick up the 20 Year Celebration edition, which is the definitive way to play. It eventually made its way to macOS in April 2018 and even Stadia (remember that?) in late 2019.
If you're planning to revisit this one, you should honestly aim for the PC version or the "Definitive" versions on modern consoles. The game still looks incredible, especially the lighting in the flooded archives and the scale of the Kitezh ruins. It’s arguably the peak of the "Survivor Trilogy" in terms of pure exploration and tomb-raiding vibes.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your library: If you own the base game on Steam, make sure you've actually downloaded the 20 Year Celebration DLCs; they add a lot of context to Lara's family history.
- Try Endurance Mode: If you’ve only ever played the story, jump into the co-op Endurance mode. It’s a survival-lite experience that actually uses the game's crafting mechanics in a way the main campaign doesn't always demand.
- Hardware Check: If you’re on PC, toggle on the DX12 mode. It was added post-launch and provides a significant stability boost for modern GPUs compared to the launch-day DX11 settings.