The long wait for a new mainline Tomb Raider entry finally comes to an end this week, and I think many fans have been feeling that mix of excitement and cautious optimism. Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards, confirmed that Crystal Dynamics will reveal the next installment in the franchise during the live broadcast on Thursday, December 11, 2025. The announcement followed a coordinated tease inside Fortnite and a brief social media campaign asking fans, perhaps a bit playfully, “Did you miss her?” It’s the first substantial look at the series since Shadow of the Tomb Raider launched back in 2018, which somehow feels both recent and surprisingly distant.
Key Takeaways
- Event Date: The reveal happens at The Game Awards on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
- Developer & Publisher: Crystal Dynamics is developing the game, with Amazon Games publishing.
- Engine: The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.
- Lara’s Look: Expect a “unified” Lara Croft design that blends her original 1990s appearance with her modern survivor backstory.
- Teaser Method: The news first appeared inside a Fortnite creative map before official confirmation on X (formerly Twitter).
Official Confirmation Details
The confirmation arrived through a fairly unusual but oddly fitting marketing push. Players first noticed it inside a Fortnite map portal connected to The Game Awards vote, almost like a small wink to those paying attention. Not long after that discovery, the official Tomb Raider social media accounts posted a teaser image featuring a silhouette of Lara Croft holding her signature dual pistols. Geoff Keighley then quoted the post, urging fans to tune in for a look at what’s next.
This reveal lines up with the 2025 window many industry analysts had predicted. Crystal Dynamics has stayed mostly quiet about the game for years, offering only small development notes about its transition to Unreal Engine 5. The “Did you miss her?” tagline hints at a shift back toward a more confident and action driven Lara Croft, nudging away from the heavier survival tone of the previous trilogy. It’s a subtle suggestion, but one that has sparked plenty of speculation.
What We Know About the New Game
Crystal Dynamics, based in California, continues to lead development. The studio has overseen the franchise since 2006 and remains closely associated with its modern identity. Amazon Games serves as the global publisher, part of a partnership established in late 2022. That relationship brings substantial resources along with support from Amazon’s broader entertainment division, which could influence how the game is positioned in the long run.
The game uses Unreal Engine 5, Epic Games’ high-end technology known for realistic lighting and detailed environments. This move replaces the studio’s long standing Foundation Engine. It’s a notable shift, and perhaps it reflects how ambitious the project might be.
Reports so far indicate that the story features a “unified” Lara Croft. The intention is to merge the timelines of the original Core Design era from 1996 to 2003 with the modern Survivor trilogy that ran from 2013 to 2018. Fans can likely expect an experienced adventurer in her 30s rather than the younger, uncertain explorer seen in more recent titles. It feels like a natural evolution, though it will be interesting to see how they balance nostalgia with modern storytelling.
Rumors and Speculation
Official details remain limited ahead of the show, but well circulated leaks suggest several gameplay elements. Some reports point to an open world setting in India, noting that Lara may use a motorcycle and a parachute to travel across a large map. If accurate, these additions could reshape exploration in meaningful ways, though of course we won’t know for sure until the reveal.
There’s also the broader universe Amazon is building. Amazon MGM Studios is developing a live action Tomb Raider TV series for Prime Video, starring Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. The game and show remain separate projects, yet Amazon has expressed interest in keeping the storytelling consistent across both. Whether that coordination ends up being subtle or more direct is still unclear, but it adds an interesting layer to the franchise’s future.
When to Watch
The Game Awards 2025 airs live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and viewers can catch the stream on YouTube, Twitch, and other major platforms.
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which studio is making the new Tomb Raider game?
A. Crystal Dynamics is the primary developer. They are the same studio behind Tomb Raider: Legend and the 2013 reboot.
Q. Is the new Tomb Raider game exclusive to Xbox or PlayStation?
A. No official platform list exists yet, but Amazon Games typically publishes multi-platform titles. A release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S is standard for this type of high-budget release.
Q. Will the new game be open world?
Strong rumors suggest the game will feature open-world elements and a setting in India, but Crystal Dynamics has not yet verified this.
Q. Is this a remake of the original 1996 game?
A. No. This is a brand-new mainline entry. While a remaster of the original trilogy was released recently, this project is a completely new adventure set after the events of the previous games.
Q. What engine does the new Tomb Raider use?
A. The game is built using Unreal Engine 5.
Q. Did Amazon buy Tomb Raider?
A. Embracer Group owns the Tomb Raider intellectual property (IP) and Crystal Dynamics. Amazon Games is only the publisher for this specific game title.
