Summary
A new job posting indicates that the next game in theTomb Raiderfranchise, which is currently being developed by Crystal Dynamics, could be in the late stages of development. While the nextTomb Raiderhas not been officially announced yet, and the project does not even have an official name, it’s known that it’s been in development for a while, and if this rumor proves to be true, it could be huge news for fans of the franchise.
Tomb Raideris a popular franchisethat started back in 1996, and the series has already released 11 mainline titles over the years, as well as some spin-offs. The latest mainline entry in the franchise wasShadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018. More recently, Lara Croft has been featured in multiple games, appearing as a playable character in titles likeDead By Daylight,Fortnite, and others.
Now, a job listing made by Crystal Dynamics looking for a Senior Level Designer (spotted byVideoGamer) has indicated that the nextTomb Raidermay be in the last stages of development. Crystal Dynamics is looking for a developer with Unreal Engine expertise who can “spearhead strike teams as a high-impact individual contributor.” Strike teams are often used late in game development to iron out small bugs in specific areas, and it’s uncommon to see them in action more than a year before the release. The job listing does not mentionTomb Raiderspecifically, but it does cite “a strong focus on puzzle design” with third-person action games. The only other game being developed by Crystal Dynamics isPerfect Dark, which is a first-person title.
New Job Listing Indicates That Next Tomb Raider May Be Near the End of Its Development
Taking this job listing into account, it’s possible that the nextTomb Raidercould be released in 2025 or early in 2026. However, not much is known about the title.The setting of the nextTomb Raider, for example, is entirely unknown. One leaker indicated that it would be an open-world game set in India, but this remains unconfirmed.
Earlier this year,Tomb Raiderdeveloper Crystal Dynamics laid off 17 employees, impacting less than 10% of its employees. It’s currently unknown if these layoffs impacted the development of the nextTomb Raiderin any way, though.
In any case, it remains to be seen when the nextTomb Raiderwill officially be announced and released. There’s some speculation that the game could be announced during the upcomingSummer Game Fest 2025, but it’s still too early to know for sure.
