Right now, everything seems to be accelerating for the next Tomb Raider. In fact, for the past few weeks, several rumors have suggested that an announcement could be imminent. At the same time, a new job offer published by Crystal Dynamics is rekindling these speculations: could the next installment really be in the final stages?
A recruitment that says a lot for Tomb Raider
Crystal Dynamics' discretion hasn't stopped fans from monitoring the studio's every move. And this time, it's a job offer that has caught their attention. The advert is for a Senior Level Designer, an experienced person who will lead strike teams, small temporary teams often brought in to iron out final touches or polish mechanics just before release.
While the advert doesn't explicitly mention Tomb Raider, it does stress expertise in third-person action games with a strong focus on puzzle design. This profile is hardly a good fit for another project currently underway at Crystal Dynamics, Perfect Dark, which is a first-person shooter. Enough to direct attention towards the iconic adventurer.
A project still as mysterious
Despite this encouraging lead, the outlines of the next Tomb Raider remain unclear. The official title has not yet been revealed, no teaser has been released, and the game's setting remains purely hypothetical. An unconfirmed leak suggests an open-world adventure set in India, but nothing has been confirmed to date.
However, it is important to keep some perspective. At the beginning of the year, Crystal Dynamics carried out a wave of layoffs that affected approximately 10% of its workforce. While it's unclear whether this team reduction has directly impacted the development of the next Tomb Raider, it does reflect a period of transition within the studio.
It's also worth remembering that the game's development is taking place within a broader restructuring process. Since its acquisition by Embracer Group in 2022, Crystal Dynamics has undergone numerous management changes. The Tomb Raider series has been contracted to Amazon Games for future publishing, with no release window confirmed yet.
Source: Crystal Dynamics
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