Lara Croft is getting a rare two‑pronged comeback. At The Game Awards, Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics revealed not one but two Tomb Raider projects: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a modern reimagining of the 1996 debut due in 2026, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a wholly new, larger‑scale adventure slated for 2027.
Both titles lean on Unreal Engine 5, will land on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, and — in a move that signals a clear creative reset — cast Alix Wilton Regan as the new voice and motion‑capture performer for Lara Croft. The official announcement from Amazon frames the pair as complementary: one honours the franchise’s origins, the other pushes its scope and geography outward. Read the studio’s overview of the plans on Amazon’s site here: Amazon Game Studios announcement.
Two different promises, one franchise DNA
Legacy of Atlantis is pitched as a “true reimagining” of the original Tomb Raider. Developed in partnership with Flying Wild Hog, Crystal Dynamics says the remake will preserve the core puzzle‑and‑platforming loop — tombs, traps, the Scion — while updating visuals, controls and storytelling for modern audiences. Early footage shown at the awards hints at a Lara that visually nods to the 1996 design but with richer detail, more color and contemporary animation.
Catalyst, by contrast, is billed as the bigger, more ambitious title. Set across Northern India and orbiting a mythical cataclysm that has unearthed ancient forces, the new story places Lara in a race against rival treasure hunters to stop a catastrophe. The studio describes Catalyst as the largest Tomb Raider to date, emphasizing vertical exploration — dense jungles, towering peaks, and sprawling ruin systems.
Crystal Dynamics has explained that the two projects are being built in parallel by separate teams that share technologies and leadership where it makes sense. That approach lets Legacy of Atlantis arrive in time for the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026, while giving Catalyst the development runway it needs for a 2027 release.
A new Lara, across games and screens
Alix Wilton Regan — known for roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect 3 and Assassin’s Creed Origins — will voice and perform motion capture for Lara in both games. The casting represents a departure from the previous trilogy, in which Camilla Luddington provided both voice and mocap. The new voice direction arrives as Amazon is also developing a live‑action Tomb Raider series for Prime Video, meaning multiple Lara portrayals will exist at once across mediums.
Amazon and Crystal Dynamics say the games and the TV series are being developed in parallel and share a “core DNA,” but each will make the creative choices that best fit its medium.
What this means for players and platforms
Both titles will release on major current‑gen platforms and PC via Steam. The Steam release is noteworthy because platform strategies around cross‑buy and cross‑platform ownership continue to evolve; recent PlayStation ecosystem moves and datamines have sparked discussion about how Sony might further integrate PC ownership with its consoles — context worth watching as Tomb Raider lands on multiple storefronts. See recent coverage on PlayStation/PC cross‑buy speculation here: Datamine reveals PS5–PC cross‑buy hints.
For players invested in the PS5 ecosystem, the renewed push for big, visually ambitious titles plays into recent updates to Sony’s cloud and hardware lineup — including improvements that make streaming and remote play more compelling. If you’re gearing up to experience these new Tomb Raider games on dedicated hardware, the PlayStation 5 Pro is an option many will consider: PlayStation 5 Pro.
And if you follow cloud delivery and streaming of PS5 content, recent platform updates that expand how the PlayStation Portal and streaming services interact with PS5 libraries make playing cross‑device more seamless — something that could affect how you experience Tomb Raider across devices: PlayStation Portal cloud streaming update.
A careful remix and a clean slate
There’s a clear logic to Amazon and Crystal Dynamics’ plan. Legacy of Atlantis gives fans a curated route back to the franchise’s roots with modern production values and a partner (Flying Wild Hog) experienced in high‑tempo action design. Catalyst appears designed to be the tentpole: a sprawling new world that can anchor future sequels and, potentially, transmedia tie‑ins.
Announcements like this raise predictable questions: how faithful will the remake be to the original’s spirit versus its quirks? How radical a departure will Catalyst take from recent Tomb Raider tone and mechanics? Studio statements emphasize respect for canon and creative freedom, and we’ll learn more as extended gameplay and developer commentaries arrive over the next year.
For now, fans get two clear dates on the calendar: Legacy of Atlantis in 2026 and Catalyst in 2027. Between the remake’s promise of nostalgia and the new game’s global stakes, Lara Croft is positioned to be everywhere again — on shelves, on screen, and in headlines.