A connection between generations. Tomb Raider: Catalyst will continue the story of Tomb Raider: Underworld

Over its nearly three decades of existence, the Tomb Raider series has repeatedly changed form and direction, experiencing reboots, remakes, and new interpretations of Lara Croft. Now, Crystal Dynamics has decided to go further and connect all the key stages of the franchise into a single chronology, uniting the different eras within a common canon.

At The Game Awards 2025, the studio unveiled two projects about the famous Tomb Raider: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. The former is conceived as a narrative transition between the trilogy about Lara's origins and the classic games in the series, culminating in Tomb Raider: Underworld, released in 2008.

Later, in a conversation with journalists, it was revealed that Tomb Raider: Catalyst will directly continue the events of Underworld. According to game director Will Kerslake, the new game will take place several years after the conclusion of that game, effectively making Catalyst a full-fledged sequel. The developers emphasize that playing Underworld won't require completing the game, as the story will be fairly self-contained. Crystal Dynamics also calls this project the largest release in the series' history.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst doesn't yet have a precise release date, but the materials released point to a 2027 release. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a reimagining of the franchise's very first game, is scheduled for release a year earlier, in 2026.