Jeff Bezos to fund Lara Croft’s next expedition as Crystal Dynamics signs deal with Amazon Games

After being deemed a financial bust by previous owner Square Enix (due to the Japanese publisher?s unrealistic sales expectations), Crystal Dynamics was sold off to the Embracer Group and formed CDE Entertainment. After being liberated from the RPG giant, it seems that the developers of the Tomb Raider series are set to work on the next iteration of the narrative-driven adventure series with a new benefactor.

Announced today Crystal Dynamics revealed they have inked a deal with Amazon Games to develop a new multiplatform entry to the long running series. While there aren?t too many details revealed, the title will be developed using Unreal Engine 5 and promises to be the biggest entry to date.

While I?ve derided Amazon Games as something like a Johnny come lately whose only notable trait was having Amazon?s massive warchest to throw around, it seems the group has been using that money wisely. At last week?s The Game Awards they revealed Blue Protocol, a title they teamed with Bandai Namco to develop and publish. This is in addition to the partnerships that were signed with Disruptive Games and Glowmade earlier this year. So hopefully these seeds will sprout better fruit that what they have borne so far.

Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics today announced they have reached an agreement under which Crystal Dynamics will develop a new multiplatform Tomb Raider title, with Amazon Games providing full support and publishing the game globally.

The as-yet-untitled new Tomb Raider game is a single-player, narrative-driven adventure that continues Lara Croft?s story in the Tomb Raider series. It includes all the elements that have made Tomb Raider one of the most revered franchises in gaming, giving players control of the confident and multidimensional hero Lara Croft in an environment that rewards exploration and creative pathfinding, with mind-bending puzzles to solve, and a wide variety of enemies to face and overcome. Crystal Dynamics is drawing on the power and cutting-edge technology of Unreal Engine 5 to take storytelling to the next level, in the biggest, most expansive Tomb Raider game to date. The title is currently in early development, and additional details will be announced at a later date.

?Tomb Raider is one of the most beloved IPs in entertainment history,? said Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games. ?Amazon Games is committed to bringing players games of the highest quality, from the best developers, across all variety of platforms and genres, and we?re honored by the opportunity to work with this storied developer and franchise. Our team is incredibly excited about collaborating with the talented and visionary Crystal Dynamics team to bring the next chapter of Lara Croft?s saga to players around the world.?

?Crystal Dynamics has an extraordinary opportunity following our acquisition by Embracer to redefine what a publishing relationship is for Tomb Raider,? said Scot Amos, head of studio at Crystal Dynamics. ?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. They?re uniquely positioned to rewrite what publishing and development collaborations are, and we?re eager to forge this new path together, starting with building the biggest and best Tomb Raider game yet!?

Crystal Dynamics has developed and published dozens of award-winning titles over the past three decades, including globally revered franchises like Legacy of Kain and Tomb Raider. The Tomb Raider franchise includes more than 20 video games, is loved by more than 170 million people around the world[1], and has sold more than 95 million copies since the first entry was released in 1996. The most recent ?Survivor Trilogy,? comprised of Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), garnered more than 200 ?Best of? awards and nominations.

The agreement with Crystal Dynamics marks a further expansion of Amazon Games? AAA publishing efforts, which also include Lost Ark from Smilegate RPG and the recently announced Blue Protocol from Bandai Namco Online Inc. The upcoming Tomb Raider title will mark Amazon Games? first single-player narrative title, following success with multiplayer titles New World and Lost Ark.