For the first time in years, Tomb Raider fans have not one but two major new games to look forward to—a full reimagining of Lara Croft’s 1996 debut and an all‑new blockbuster adventure set in Northern India, both unveiled at The Game Awards 2025.
Two New Games, Two Different Eras of Lara
Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics pulled off one of the show’s biggest surprises: a dual announcement of
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and
Tomb Raider: Catalyst.
-
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026)A
“true reimagining” of the original 1996
Tomb Raider, built in
Unreal Engine 5 with modern gameplay, new surprises, and updated level design.
- Focus: Lara’s first major adventure, hunting the scattered pieces of the powerful artifact
Scion.
- Style: Classic raiding—
exotic tombs, dangerous traps, lethal predators, intricate puzzles, and lots of acrobatic traversal.
- Platforms:
PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
-
Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027)A
brand‑new entry billed as Lara’s
“most ambitious adventure to date,” set in the wake of a
mythical cataclysm in
Northern India.
- Story: Ancient secrets and “mysterious guardian forces” are unleashed, and Lara races against rival treasure hunters to stop a catastrophe and protect a world‑shaping secret.
- Gameplay: A
“vertically rich platforming playground” across jungles, mountains, and long‑lost ruins, with heavily customizable adventure gear.
- Platforms: Also
PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam), launching in
2027.
Both games are being made in partnership between
Crystal Dynamics and
Amazon Game Studios, with
Flying Wild Hog co‑developing
Legacy of Atlantis.
One Unified Lara, One New Voice
A big part of this reveal is
who Lara is now.
Crystal Dynamics is calling this version
“Unified Lara”—a visual and tonal blend of the original ’90s icon and the more grounded, survival‑era Lara from the 2013–2018 reboot trilogy. The design was first teased in early 2024, but this is the first time fans are seeing her in full action.
Both new games star
Alix Wilton Regan as the
voice (and performance) of Lara Croft.
She’s being positioned as the definitive voice of this unified, confident, dual‑pistol‑wielding Lara going forward.
Why This Reveal Matters for the Franchise
This double‑launch strategy isn’t just fan service; it’s a
deliberate reset and expansion of the
Tomb Raider brand.
-
30th Anniversary CelebrationThe release of
Legacy of Atlantis in 2026 lines up with the
30th anniversary of the original
Tomb Raider.
The remake is meant to
honor the series’ roots while updating them with:
- Modern level design
- New secrets and twists on familiar locations
- Fresh puzzle ideas and traversal challenges
-
A Fresh Narrative FutureCatalyst is being pitched as the
“next chapter” that pushes Lara into larger‑scale, world‑threatening stakes, with more complex relationships and moral choices about who she can trust.
It effectively
sets the tone for where the series goes after the reboot trilogy, without discarding classic Lara’s personality.
-
Stability After a Rough PeriodCrystal Dynamics has had a turbulent few years, including multiple rounds of layoffs under Embracer Group’s restructuring in 2025.
This Amazon partnership is being framed as giving the studio the
“resources, expertise, and creative freedom” to build these games
“without compromise,” according to studio head Scot Amos.
What We Know About Gameplay So Far
Legacy of Atlantis: Classic Tomb Raiding, Reinvented
From official descriptions and early coverage,
Legacy of Atlantis is aiming squarely at fans who miss the
pure raiding focus of the earlier games.
Expect:
-
Tight, puzzle‑dense tombs rather than mostly open‑world hubs
-
Traversal and traps at the core: jumping, climbing, dodging deadly contraptions
-
Predators and enemies in confined, tense spaces
- A mix of
faithful story beats from 1996 and
“new surprises” that add unseen events and areas to Lara’s first big mission.
It will also be the
second remake of the original game after 2007’s
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, but nearly two decades have passed since then, and this new version is billed as a much more radical reimagining.
Catalyst: Big, Vertical, And Myth-Heavy
Meanwhile,
Tomb Raider: Catalyst looks like a
cinematic action‑adventure on a much larger scale.
Key elements:
-
Setting: Lush
Northern India—jungles, cascading mountains, deep ruins.
-
Tone: Myth meets modernity—ancient forces colliding with the present after a world‑shaking event.
-
Level design: Emphasis on
vertical exploration, with layered routes, platforms, and hidden paths.
-
Gear: A focus on
customizable “adventure tech” to tailor how you navigate, fight, and explore.
The official reveal trailer—shown at The Game Awards and shared by outlets like IGN—leans hard into
spectacle: collapsing ruins, supernatural threats, and a very self‑assured Lara back in full action-hero mode.
Platforms, Release Windows, and Where to Play
Here’s the current rollout plan based on official announcements:
| Game | Type | Engine | Release Window | Platforms |
|-------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------------------------|
|
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis | Reimagining of 1996 original | Unreal Engine 5 |
2026 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) |
|
Tomb Raider: Catalyst | All‑new mainline entry | Unreal Engine 5 |
2027 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) |
On PC,
Legacy of Atlantis is already
up for wishlisting on Steam, signaling that the first wave of marketing is kicking off now.
The Bigger Tomb Raider Ecosystem Right Now
The double game reveal lands as the wider
Tomb Raider brand is heating up again.
-
Classic Titles ReturningThe official Tomb Raider site highlights a stream of re‑releases and ports, including
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 announced in late 2025.
That keeps Lara front‑and‑center for new players while Crystal Dynamics works on the new mainline titles.
-
Cross‑platform StrategySimultaneous promotion on
Xbox,
PlayStation, and
Amazon’s own channels signals a
broad, platform‑agnostic push, not a timed‑exclusive play.
Amazon is positioning itself as a
publishing partner, not locking the series to its own ecosystem.
What This Means for Fans
If you’re a longtime fan, this is about as ideal a scenario as you could ask for:
- You get a
modern, big‑budget return to Lara’s original adventure in
Legacy of Atlantis.
- You also get a
fresh, lore‑expanding epic in
Catalyst that pushes the universe forward.
- The series finally has a
clear, unified vision of Lara, along with a consistent voice actor and visual identity.
In practical terms, here’s how to prep for Lara’s comeback:
- *
Wishlist Legacy of Atlantis
on Steam or follow it on console stores to track updates and trailers.
- Expect deeper gameplay reveals and possibly hands‑on previews in 2026 as the 30th anniversary marketing ramp‑up begins.
- Watch how Amazon and Crystal Dynamics handle post‑launch support*—DLC, expansions, or live events could signal how big they want this new
Sources
1. Lara Croft returning in new games coming in 2026 and 2027
2. Tomb Raider comes to The Game Awards with not just one ...
3. The Legacy of Lara Croft Continues in Two New Tomb ...
4. Catalyst and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis coming to PS5
5. Catalyst - Official Reveal Trailer | The Game Awards 2025
6. The Game Awards 2025 —Tomb Raider Catalyst & Legacy ...
7. Featured News - Tomb Raider
