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Slay the Spire 2Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics is the California studio that has made Tomb Raider since 2003, from Tomb Raider Legend to the Survivor trilogy. Owned by Embracer Group since 2022, it is making Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis with Flying Wild Hog and Tomb Raider Catalyst, both published by Amazon Game Studios.
Crystal Dynamics makes Tomb Raider: Eidos moved the series to the American studio from Derby's Core Design in July 2003, and every main game since has carried its name, from Tomb Raider: Legend (2006) to Tomb Raider (2013) and the Survivor trilogy. Its headquarters are in San Carlos, California, with teams in Texas, California and Bellevue, Washington, and it is owned by Embracer Group, which bought it from Square Enix in 2022. Its next two games are Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, out Feb 12, 2027, made with the Polish studio Flying Wild Hog, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, both published by Amazon Game Studios. The clip is the Game Awards reveal trailer of Dec 2025, which then dated Legacy of Atlantis 2026.
Quick facts
| Founders | Madeline Canepa, Judy Lang, Dave Morse |
| Headquarters | San Carlos, California |
| Other offices | Texas; Bellevue, Washington |
| Owner | Embracer Group (since Aug 26, 2022); moving to Fellowship Entertainment in 2027 |
| Head of studio | Scot Amos |
| Earlier owners | Eidos (1998), SCi (2005, through Eidos), Square Enix (2009) |
| Tomb Raider since | 2003 |
| Other series | Gex, Legacy of Kain, Marvel's Avengers |
| Publisher of its next games | Amazon Game Studios |
Sources: Game Informer, Dec 14, 2010; Crystal Dynamics: Studio, Nov 2, 2026; GeekWire, Jun 2, 2026; Game Developer, Aug 26, 2022; Amazon Game Studios, Dec 11, 2025.
Who makes Tomb Raider?
Crystal Dynamics has developed or led every main Tomb Raider game since 2006, except Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), which Eidos-Montréal led with Crystal Dynamics also credited. The Remastered collections are by Aspyr, and Legacy of Atlantis is a partnership with Flying Wild Hog, though who leads that game is reported differently: Steam names Crystal Dynamics, the official FAQ says the two studios work "in partnership", and Kotaku reports Flying Wild Hog leads with Crystal Dynamics' assistance and guidance. Catalyst is Crystal Dynamics' alone; Flying Wild Hog is not involved. The series itself, the Tomb Raider IP, belongs to the Crystal Dynamics group within Embracer.
Its Tomb Raider games
| Game | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider: Legend | 2006 | Developer |
| Tomb Raider: Anniversary | 2007 | Developer (remake of the 1996 game) |
| Tomb Raider: Underworld | 2008 | Developer |
| Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light | 2010 | Developer (spin-off) |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 2013 | Developer |
| Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris | 2014 | Usually billed as developer; Metacritic names Nixxes |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | 2015 | Developer |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 2018 | Co-developer with Eidos-Montréal, which led |
| Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered | 2024, 2025 | Credited on Steam with Aspyr, which made them |
| Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis | 2027 | Developer with Flying Wild Hog |
| Tomb Raider: Catalyst | 2027 or 2028 | Developer |
Sources: Metacritic game pages, Nov 1, 2026; Steam, Nov 1, 2026; Crystal Dynamics: Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Nov 1, 2026.
History in short
The studio was founded by Madeline Canepa, Judy Lang and Dave Morse, and its early work was for the 3DO, including Crash 'n Burn, before its first hit, Gex, in 1994. It published Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, made with Silicon Knights, then developed the series itself from Soul Reaver (1999). Eidos Interactive bought Crystal Dynamics in 1998.
After The Angel of Darkness drew a poor reception, Eidos announced on Jul 31, 2003 that Tomb Raider would move from Core Design to Crystal Dynamics. Lara's creator Toby Gard joined the studio in August 2004 and helped redesign her for Legend, which began a trilogy that ended with Underworld in 2008. The studio then rebooted the series with Tomb Raider (2013), Lara's origin story with Camilla Luddington.
While Eidos-Montréal led Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics made Marvel's Avengers (2020), a service game whose official support ended on Sep 30, 2023.
Ownership
| When | Owner | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Eidos Interactive | Eidos bought the studio |
| May 2005 | SCi Entertainment Group | SCi acquired Eidos |
| Apr 2009 | Square Enix | A court approved Square Enix's purchase of Eidos |
| Aug 26, 2022 | Embracer Group | Square Enix sold Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, Square Enix Montreal and IP including Tomb Raider for $300 million |
| 2027 (planned) | Fellowship Entertainment | Embracer will spin off Fellowship, with Crystal Dynamics, Flying Wild Hog and the Tomb Raider IP |
Sources: Game Informer, Dec 14, 2010; Game Developer, Feb 23, 2006; Engadget, Apr 22, 2009; Game Developer, Aug 26, 2022; Game World Observer, May 20, 2026.
A rumor in January 2023 that Amazon had bought the Tomb Raider rights for about $600 million was never confirmed by Amazon or Embracer, and Embracer's 2026 plan still moves the IP to Fellowship.
The Amazon deal
In December 2022 Amazon Games agreed to publish Crystal Dynamics' next Tomb Raider worldwide, a single-player, narrative-driven adventure on Unreal Engine 5 first announced in April 2022. Head of studio Scot Amos said of the deal: "Transformative is what we're looking for." That project grew into the two games revealed at The Game Awards on Dec 11, 2025: Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst, which share technology, resources and assets under one leadership group. A separate pact with Amazon MGM Studios produced the Prime Video series.
Layoffs
Crystal Dynamics has cut staff four times in 12 months: 17 people in March 2025, an unspecified number in August 2025, 30 in November 2025 and 20 on Mar 18, 2026. After the latest round it said it remains "fully committed" to both announced games.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Tomb Raider games now? Crystal Dynamics, owned by Embracer Group, makes Tomb Raider: it is developing Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis with Flying Wild Hog and Tomb Raider: Catalyst alone, both published by Amazon Game Studios.
Is Crystal Dynamics owned by Square Enix? No. Square Enix sold Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider IP to Embracer Group in a deal that closed on Aug 26, 2022; Embracer plans to move them to Fellowship Entertainment in 2027.
Did Crystal Dynamics make the original Tomb Raider? No. The 1996 Tomb Raider and its five sequels through The Angel of Darkness were made by Core Design in Derby; Crystal Dynamics took over the series in 2003 and remade the first game as Tomb Raider: Anniversary in 2007.
Does Amazon own Tomb Raider? No, Amazon Game Studios publishes the new Tomb Raider games under license from the Crystal Dynamics group; a 2023 report that Amazon bought the rights was never confirmed.
Where is Crystal Dynamics based? Crystal Dynamics' headquarters are in San Carlos, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Texas and Bellevue, Washington.
What else has Crystal Dynamics made? Besides Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics made Gex, the Legacy of Kain games from Soul Reaver (1999) and Marvel's Avengers (2020).
Sources
- The History of Crystal Dynamics, Game Informer (Matt Miller), Dec 14, 2010
- Studio, Crystal Dynamics, read Nov 2, 2026
- Eidos Transfers Lara Croft To Crystal Dynamics, Game Developer, Jul 31, 2003
- Lara Croft creator rejoining Tomb Raider team, GameSpot (Curt Feldman), Aug 6, 2004
- New Voice Of Lara Croft Revealed, Game Developer (press release), Feb 23, 2006
- Court approves Square Enix buyout of Eidos, Engadget (Ben Gilbert), Apr 22, 2009
- Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and more are now officially Embracer franchises, Game Developer (Chris Kerr), Aug 26, 2022
- Amazon Games Will Publish Crystal Dynamics' Next Tomb Raider Game, Game Informer (Wesley LeBlanc), Dec 15, 2022
- 'Marvel's Avengers' won't receive official support after September 30th, Engadget (Igor Bonifacic), Jan 21, 2023
- Amazon has reportedly bought the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise for "600 million", GamesRadar+, Jan 2023
- Two Thrilling Tomb Raider Adventures Unveiled at The Game Awards, Crystal Dynamics, Dec 11, 2025
- Tomb Raider at The Game Awards, Amazon Game Studios, Dec 11, 2025
- Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis trailer smashes millions of views, VideoGamer (Callum Smith), Dec 2025
- Tomb Raider Devs Explain Series Timeline, Lara Croft's New Voice, And Links Between, Game Informer (Charles Harte), Dec 15, 2025
- Tomb Raider Studio Faces Fourth Round Of Layoffs In Just 12 Months, Kotaku (Ethan Gach), Mar 18, 2026
- Crystal Dynamics Announces More Layoffs, Remains Fully Committed To Its New Tomb Raider, Game Informer (Marcus Stewart), Mar 20, 2026
- Fellowship Entertainment will separate from Embracer Group in 2027, Game World Observer, May 20, 2026
- Everything We Know About Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis, Kotaku (Zack Zwiezen), Jun 3, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (FAQ), Amazon Game Studios, read Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Catalyst, Crystal Dynamics, read Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2025, thegameawards, Dec 12, 2025 (video)
- History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018), Nick930, Sep 7, 2018 (video)
Moments
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2025
thegameawards
History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018)
Nick930
Related
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Lara Croft Spin-offsThe Lara Croft spin-offs are the Tomb Raider games outside the main series, led by the co-op games Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) and Temple of Osiris (2014), the puzzle game Lara Croft GO (2015), the runner Relic Run (2015) and Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023).
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Rise of the Tomb RaiderRise of the Tomb Raider (2015) is Crystal Dynamics' second Survivor game, sending Lara Croft to Siberia in search of the Lost City of Kitezh. Critics rated it among the best Tomb Raider games, at 86 on both Metacritic and OpenCritic.
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The Angel of DarknessTomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (Tomb Raider 6, 2003) was Core Design's last Tomb Raider, a troubled PlayStation 2 and PC game rated 52 and 49 on Metacritic, the lowest of any main-series game. Weeks after it launched, Eidos moved the series to Crystal Dynamics.
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The Last RevelationTomb Raider: The Last Revelation (Tomb Raider 4, 1999) is Core Design's Egypt game, in which Lara Croft frees the god Set and must imprison him again, and which ends with her apparent death. Metacritic lists no critic score for it, but its users rate it 8.3.
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Tomb Raider (1996)Tomb Raider (1996) is the first Tomb Raider game, made by Core Design in Derby and published by Eidos Interactive in late 1996 on Sega Saturn, PlayStation and PC. Lara Croft hunts the Scion across 15 levels in Peru, Greece, Egypt and Atlantis; it sold over 7 million copies.
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Tomb Raider 2Tomb Raider 2 (Tomb Raider II, 1997) is Core Design's first sequel, sending Lara Croft after the Dagger of Xian from the Great Wall of China to Venice, a sunken ship and Tibet. It holds an 85 on Metacritic for PlayStation, one of the best scores in the series.
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Tomb Raider 3Tomb Raider 3 (Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft, 1998) is Core Design's third game, in which Lara Croft tracks four artifacts carved from an Antarctic meteorite through India, Nevada, the South Pacific and London. It scores 76 on Metacritic and is the longest classic Tomb Raider to finish.
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Tomb Raider ChroniclesTomb Raider Chronicles (Tomb Raider 5, 2000) is Core Design's fifth game, four short flashback adventures told by Lara Croft's friends at her memorial after The Last Revelation. It scored 57 to 63 on Metacritic, and its PC version came with the Tomb Raider level editor.
See also
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Core DesignCore Design was the studio in Derby, England, that created Tomb Raider and Lara Croft, made the first six games from 1996 to 2003 for publisher Eidos, then lost the series to Crystal Dynamics. Toby Gard, credited with creating Lara, left after the first game and returned at Crystal Dynamics in 2004.
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Tomb Raider: LegendTomb Raider: Legend (2006) is Crystal Dynamics' first Tomb Raider, a fast, short adventure in which Lara Croft hunts the pieces of Excalibur to learn her mother's fate. It scored 82 on Metacritic and shipped over 2.9 million units in its first months.
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Tomb Raider (2013)Tomb Raider (2013) is Crystal Dynamics' reboot, Lara Croft's origin story on a stormbound island, published by Square Enix on Mar 5, 2013 with Camilla Luddington as Lara. It scored 86 to 87 on Metacritic and had sold 11 million copies by 2018, though Square Enix first called its sales below target.
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Tomb Raider: CatalystTomb Raider: Catalyst is Crystal Dynamics' next all-new Tomb Raider game, set in Northern India and published by Amazon Game Studios. Official pages still say 2027, but Amazon Games' Jeffrey Gattis said 2028 in July 2026, and Amazon has given no date since.
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Shadow of the Tomb RaiderShadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) ends the Survivor trilogy, with Lara Croft trying to stop a Maya apocalypse in the jungle. Eidos-Montréal led it with Crystal Dynamics; critics liked it less than the two before it, at 82 on Metacritic for Xbox One and 80 on OpenCritic.