New Tomb Raider Game Leak Suggests Catalyst is Open World

by

Recent information suggests the next Tomb Raider game, potentially titled Catalyst, might have a completely open world – a first for the series after 30 years. While previous Tomb Raider games have included large areas to explore, none have offered a truly seamless, open-world experience.

After some initial hints over the past few years, Tomb Raider: Catalyst was fully unveiled at The Game Awards 2025, alongside Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. Legacy of Atlantis will be a fresh take on the original Tomb Raider game from 1996, while Tomb Raider: Catalyst will be a brand new story in the series. Legacy of Atlantis is scheduled to release this year, and Catalyst is planned for 2027.

Rumor — Tomb Raider: Catalyst Could Feature an Open World

In May 2024, a user on X named V Scooper – known for sharing leaks about movies and TV shows – said the next Tomb Raider game would be a completely open-world experience set in India. They also claimed players would be able to freely use Lara Croft’s motorcycle and a parachute. The recent announcement trailer for Tomb Raider: Catalyst confirmed the game’s setting in Northern India, and V Scooper is now reaffirming their earlier predictions.

Okay, so I was scrolling through X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, and V Scooper dropped a screenshot from the new Tomb Raider: Catalyst reveal trailer. Honestly, just that one image is making me think this game is going full open world! They pointed out you can see snowy mountains, jungles, and deserts all in the background, which suggests one huge, connected map instead of a bunch of separate levels – just like they hinted at before. It’s getting a mixed reaction though. Some people are super hyped about a fully open Tomb Raider, but others are worried it might lose what makes the series great. I saw one reply from @RinoTheBouncer that pretty much summed up my concern: they said open world games often feel bloated and mess up the pacing of the story and exploration, and I totally get that.

It’s always wise to be skeptical of leaks and rumors, but a recent theory about Tomb Raider: Catalyst being an open-world game seems quite possible. In an interview with GamesRadar+ after the game was announced in December 2025, Crystal Dynamics Studio Head Scot Amos stated that Catalyst is “the largest Tomb Raider game we’ve made to date.” While that could mean many things, making the game open world would certainly explain how it could be their biggest project yet.

The recent trailer for Tomb Raider: Catalyst highlighted Lara Croft’s grappling hook, showcasing its use for both getting around and fighting. While the trailer didn’t show the motorbike or parachute features previously reported, the grappling hook seemed central to the gameplay. Crystal Dynamics hasn’t detailed how the grappling hook will work, but it likely will be a key part of exploring the game’s world. This makes sense, as Catalyst is a sequel to Tomb Raider: Underworld, which also heavily featured Lara’s grappling hook for movement and puzzles. The trailer also briefly showed Lara wall-running, though it’s unclear if this will be a feature in the final game.

Read More

2026-01-29 00:38