Tomb Raider: Catalyst Developers Talk Exciting New Chapter For Lara Croft

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At the 2025 Game Awards, fans were surprised with two new Tomb Raider games. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis retells Lara Croft’s original adventure, while Tomb Raider: Catalyst sends her on a brand-new quest to find lost treasures in Northern India. This game is set later in Lara’s story than any previous installment, offering a fresh and exciting experience for fans of the series.

In 2026, the Tomb Raider franchise will celebrate its 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion, developer Crystal Dynamics is revisiting Lara Croft’s origins with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. Then, in 2027, they’ll release Catalyst, a game set later in Lara’s career when she’s a well-known adventurer with a network of allies and rivals. At a recent event, Crystal Dynamics Studio Head Scot Amos and Game Director Will Kerslak told Game Rant they’re particularly excited about Catalyst’s setting in North India, the chance to explore a more mature and established Lara Croft, and all the other surprises they have planned for fans.

3. Tomb Raider: Catalyst Is An Adventure Both Old And New Fans Can Enjoy

When developing Catalyst, Amos and the team at Crystal Dynamics focused on creating a Tomb Raider adventure that would appeal to both dedicated fans and newcomers. With over a dozen Tomb Raider games released since 1996, Amos aimed to make Catalyst equally enjoyable as a first or a long-time player’s experience.

For those who have followed Lara Croft for a long time, this represents the most current and defining moment in her story – it’s where she is now, and everything before is simply backstory. It’s a fantastic time for dedicated fans to see what happens next. And for new players, we’ve made Catalyst accessible so anyone can jump right into the action without needing to know anything beforehand – there’s no need to catch up on previous games.

Details about the story of Tomb Raider: Catalyst are still limited, but we know Lara Croft journeys to Northern India after a major disaster. There, she’ll discover ancient mysteries and meet both friends and enemies, including other treasure hunters who may have bad intentions. According to Amos, this Tomb Raider game is the biggest one they’ve ever created, and it’s the first time the studio has built a game using Unreal Engine 5. This new technology allows for a much more detailed and expansive world than previous installments.

2. Catalyst Will Feature A Stunning Northern India Setting

I’m so excited for the new Tomb Raider: Catalyst! Apparently, Lara’s heading to Northern India this time, which is a totally fresh location for the series. I read that the developers specifically chose it as a nod to the very beginning of the first Tomb Raider game – a cool way to honor the roots of the franchise!

The story actually begins with a scene in the very first Tomb Raider game. Lara is in Calcutta, staying at a hotel, when she first encounters Larson. Because of this connection to the original game, and the fact that fans loved the setting, we were excited to revisit that location.

The trailer unveiled at the 2025 Game Awards showcased the beautiful Northern India setting of the upcoming Tomb Raider Catalyst. Like previous games in the series, Catalyst will boast impressive graphics, now powered by the advanced Unreal Engine 5. Both developers, Kerslake and Amos, expressed their enthusiasm for the location and can’t wait for players to experience it in the game. Amos stated:

Northern India is a stunning region, rich in history and culture. Its diverse landscapes are incredibly inviting, ranging from breathtaking mountain peaks with incredible views to mysterious underground tombs.

1. Tomb Raider: Catalyst Will Show How Lara Croft Has Grown And Changed

Amos and Kerslake have especially appreciated working on two games simultaneously, as it’s given them a fresh perspective on Lara Croft’s evolution. The Lara in Legacy of Atlantis is still relatively new to tomb raiding, early in her career. In contrast, the Lara of Catalyst is a seasoned adventurer, having already explored Norse ruins in Underworld, confronted strange beings in Legend, and completed numerous other challenging expeditions around the globe.

According to Kerslake, the two versions of Lara Croft featured in Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst – both played by Alix Wilton Regan – are essentially the same person. He points out, though, that the Lara in Catalyst has been changed by all the experiences and journeys she’s had.

This game features two separate adventures starring the same character, Lara Croft. Tomb Raider: Catalyst is a fresh experience, showcasing Lara at her peak, but also explores different stages of her life.

Both Amos and Kerslake agreed that Alix Wilton Regan was ideal for the role of Lara Croft in Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst, especially considering her history as a fan of the series. Regan, known for roles like Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins and the Female Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, was able to portray both the emotional vulnerability of a young Lara and the world-weariness of the more seasoned version in Catalyst. According to Kerslake,

She immediately understood our vision: to showcase the character’s strength and assurance while also ensuring the story had the emotional resonance audiences expect today.

I’m so hyped for the upcoming Tomb Raider games! Right now, the big push is for Legacy of Atlantis, which is coming out first. But the team has also teased that we’ll be getting a lot more details about Tomb Raider: Catalyst throughout 2026 – and that’s exciting because it’s the 30th anniversary of the franchise! Amos and Kerslake, the people behind the games, have hinted they can’t wait to share everything they’ve been working on with Catalyst. It really makes you wonder if this could be the beginning of a whole new trilogy or series for Lara Croft, but they wouldn’t say one way or the other. Amos did emphasize that this is a completely fresh adventure for Lara, a brand new chapter, and that’s all they’re revealing for now.

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2026-01-12 13:35