Two Tomb Raider games, two visions: Amazon’s big bet on Lara Croft

This time around, Amazon Game Studios, in conjunction with Crystal Dynamics, is focusing on nostalgia and large-scale development in bringing back Lara Croft. Two new titles were unveiled by Amazon and Crystal Dynamics at The Game Awards 2025 held in Los Angeles: the first title will be a modern remake of Tomb Raider 1996, while the second will be an original storyline taking place within Northern India. Together, the announcements mark the franchise’s most significant expansion in nearly a decade.

Both games are being built on Unreal Engine 5 and will launch exclusively on current-generation platforms, signaling a clear focus on technical ambition and long-term franchise revival.

A Classic Reborn: Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis Drops in 2026

Coming in 2026 is Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and it's a whole new take on Lara Crofts very first adventure. Crystal Dynamics are teaming up with Flying Wild Hog to give a fresh spin to that 1996 game, bringing it to a whole new crowd without losing the things that made it such a legend.

This time around Lara's off on a globe-trotting quest for the Scion, an ancient power artifact. You'll get to explore reimagined versions of some seriously cool locations like dense jungles, desert ruins and myth inspired islands. The team tells us that the remake blends new cutting-edge traversal, puzzles and combat systems with the atmosphere and flow that fans of the original will remember.

Some of the key things to look out for are:

• Unreal Engine 5 visuals designed for current-generation hardware.

• Modernized gameplay systems while retaining classic level structure.

• New surprises layered onto the original story.

• Release planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.

Studio head Scot Amos says that being able to work with Amazon Game Studios has really let the team spread their wings and try out new ideas with all the technical support they need.

A fresh direction for Lara Croft in Tomb Raider Catalyst

The second announcement, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, is a game that really looks to the future rather than just rehashing the past. Due for release in 2027 a whole nine years after the last one, mind Catalyst is the first totally brand new main Tomb Raider title since 2018 and has been kicking around in development since 2022.

Catalyst sends Lara Croft to Northern India, where you get the sense her ancient adventures are about to collide with the modern world in a big way. Some of the early footage that was shown off at The Game Awards looked pretty impressive, with vast landscapes, steep mountains and all the colours and energy of a festival going on all of which makes it sound like the game is going to be a lot more sprawling and ambitious than its predecessors.

Crystal Dynamics is saying that Catalyst is going to be the biggest Tomb Raider game ever made and that sounds pretty plausible given the emphasis on exploration, jumping/climbing about and getting all immersed in the story. And just to make things even more appealing, it's going to be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam as well.

Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Game Studios, said the two projects reflect a dual strategy: respecting the series’ roots while pushing Lara Croft into new stories and locations.

A familiar voice for a new era

Both games will feature Alix Wilton Regan as the voice of Lara Croft. Regan is known for her roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Cyberpunk 2077, and Mass Effect 3. Her return provides continuity across the remake and the new title, even as the games explore different timelines and tones.

Not a Comeback, but a New Era for Lara Croft

The dual reveal suggests Amazon Game Studios is not treating Tomb Raider as a one-off revival. Instead, the publisher appears to be laying the groundwork for a sustained future for the franchise, one that balances legacy, technical modernization, and global storytelling.

For longtime fans, Legacy of Atlantis offers a chance to revisit Lara Croft’s origins through a modern lens. For newer players, Catalyst positions Tomb Raider as a contemporary action-adventure series built for current hardware and expectations.

With releases planned across two consecutive years, Lara Croft’s return looks less like a comeback and more like a reset for one of gaming’s most enduring icons.

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