Lara heads to a new home
Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics have entered a new partnership to publish the latter’s upcoming Tomb Raider project. The new multiplatform entry in the story of Lara Croft will receive support and publishing help from Amazon.
The announcement today confirms Crystal Dynamics’ newest partner on the project, following the studio getting acquired by the Embracer Group. The press release also confirms this will be a single-player, narrative-driven Lara Croft adventure. Crystal Dynamics will continue to develop, while Amazon provides support and globally publishes the still-unnamed Tomb Raider.
“Crystal Dynamics has an extraordinary opportunity following our acquisition by Embracer to redefine what a publishing relationship is for Tomb Raider,” said Crystal Dynamics head Scot Amos in a press release. “Transformative is what we’re looking for, and with Amazon Games, we found a team that shares our creative vision, ambitions, and values for a Lara Croft universe across the spectrum of possibilities.”
The new Tomb Raider is also being built in Unreal Engine 5. Lara’s new adventure is still in early development, but today’s news promises there will still be enemies to take down and puzzles to solve in the new Tomb Raider.
A new benefactor
For Amazon, the online shopping giant picks up another publishing deal with this project. Bandai Namco’s Blue Protocol is also joining up with Amazon for publishing, helping the online RPG launch sometime next year.
Meanwhile, for Crystal Dynamics, the deal ensures some support for the next big Croft game. The studio is saying it will be the “biggest” and “most expansive” to date. It’s also set to carry on Lara Croft’s story, though in what manner that happens remains to be seen.
