Tomb Raider: Catalyst Devs Promise Largest Game To Date, Fits Into Canon

Tomb Raider: Catalyst’s trailer may have surfaced online ahead of The Game Awards, but I’d argue it was easily still the most exciting reveal of the night.

I can’t quite believe that Lara’s last adventure landed in 2018 with Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Thankfully, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Game Studios have revealed that fans can look forward to a double bill to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary.

Next year, an Unreal Engine 5 reimagining of the series’ very first game will arrive, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.

In 2027, a brand new entry will follow in the form of Tomb Raider: Catalyst, and I had the chance to attend a Q&A with Crystal Dynamics studio head Scot Amos and game director Will Kerslake.

To bring you up to speed, Tomb Raider: Catalyst has been in development for three years with the new instalment taking Lara to northern India.

According to a press release, the game is “set in the wake of a mythical cataclysm that has unleashed ancient secrets and awakened the mysterious forces that guard them”.

“When the most notorious treasure hunters from around the world descend on the region, Lara races to uncover the truth buried beneath the fractured landscape and stop those who would use its power for their own gain.”

Catalyst Is the Biggest Tomb Raider Game to Date

It sounds as if we’re in for yet another thrilling adventure; in fact, Scot and Will confirmed that this will be the largest Tomb Raider entry to date, explaining that it’s set at the furthest point in Lara’s career experienced by fans thus far.

The duo described the game as having been built for fans both new and old, with no homework required if you want to step on board for the very first time.

Catalyst’s story has been crafted in a way that it needs no supporting knowledge but, of course, those who have experienced the full breadth of Lara’s career will benefit from understanding a few Easter eggs here and there.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Credit / Amazon Game Studios

Created in Unreal Engine 5, Scot and Will teased that players will get to experience a beautifully realised world in Catalyst, from far-off vistas to the depth’s of the game’s characterising tombs.

Tomb Raider’s Canon Has Been Reworked

If you’re wondering how this all fits within the franchise’s wider canon, allow me to explain.

Scot and Will confirmed that the Survivor Trilogy - comprising Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider - serves as Lara’s origin story; this is followed by the events of Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.

The upcoming Legacy of Atlantis will fall next within the timeline, with the reimagined story reflecting the canon events established by the Survivor Trilogy.

The usual order then continues, culminating in Underworld which, ahead of Catalyst’s reveal, was Lara’s most recent adventure.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set several years after Underworld.

As for whether Tomb Raider: Catalyst will tie in with Prime Video’s upcoming live-action Tomb Raider series, Scot and Will were a tad tight-lipped.

They wouldn’t confirm a link outright but did refer to the synergy between the two projects as a “great opportunity”.

Catalyst Is Seemingly Kickstarting a New Series

During the Q&A, Scot and Will were also asked whether Catalyst marked the beginning of a new trilogy.

While the duo were, again, non-committal in their answer, they did refer to Catalyst as a “new chapter”, so it sounds as if we’re set to receive several new adventures in the coming years with our new Lara.

That new Lara is voiced by Alix Wilton Regan, in case you’d missed it.

Scot praised Alix as “tremendous”, adding that she has the “wit, charm, confidence, and depth of emotion” needed to portray Lara.

Lara’s Redesign Explained by Developers

Every time Lara returns for a new phase in her story, it usually sees the character redesigned.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Credit / Amazon Game Studios

The Survivor Trilogy’s more, let’s say, realistic Lara is a far cry from the polygonal chest of the early games.

In both Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, the character has undergone yet another makeover.

Scot and Will outlined that there are team members at Crystal Dynamics who have been there from the very beginning so there are certain aspects of Lara’s DNA that will always remain true.

They added, however, that the latest character model reflected the expectations of a modern audience with each Lara likewise influenced by the demands of the era they launched within.

It’s a very delicate way of saying gamers aren’t quite gooning over Lara like they were 30 years ago.

Yes, she’s attractive, but this latest iteration clearly is very strong and capable, and I’m imagining that’s what Scot and Will were getting at.

I should add that you’re not wrong in thinking that Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst’s character models look different.

Catalyst is set around a decade later than Legacy of Atlantis, so the Lara you’re seeing in that latter game has, obviously, aged.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst is due to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam in 2027.