Crystal Dynamics, the team behind Tomb Raider, has just announced more layoffs, as the company looks to “optimise the continued development” of the next game in the Lara Croft franchise.
Even with recent remasters and upcoming TV shows, could this be a kick in the teeth for the announced blockbuster game? Crystal Dynamics has partnered with Amazon Games for the next Tomb Raider title in the long-standing franchise.
Could the Crystal Dynamic Layoffs Disrupt Tomb Raider’s Development?
Third Round of Layoffs This Year
It’s been a tough year for Crystal Dynamics, who only announced a second round of layoffs in August. For the third time in 2025, the company has confirmed more staff cuts.
Crystal Dynamics took to LinkedIn to announce that just under 30 team members across various departments will be laid off. The company lost 17 employees in March and an undisclosed number in August.
Part of the reasoning for the dismissals is so the company can continue focusing on the upcoming Tomb Raider title while shaping the future for new games.
Will the Layoffs Affect the Future of Tomb Raider?
The news has left Tomb Raider fans worried, and for good reason. Little information has surfaced since the new game was initially announced in December 2022. Crystal Dynamics has partnered with Amazon Games to bring fans the next title in the beloved franchise, but could it be put on hold?
Although Crystal Dynamics expressed its focus on the next Tomb Raider in the press release, the game could still be years away. Incredibly, seven years have passed since Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the last main title in the franchise. Could a decade pass before we see the next one?
Remasters of older Tomb Raider games have filled the void, with the I-III Remastered versions released in February 2024. Also in 2024, Crystal Dynamics’ animated TV series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, came out on Netflix.
What About the Announced Lara Croft TV Show?
The second season of the Legend of Lara Croft TV series is set to premiere this December. The recent layoffs may have played a part in the second season being confirmed as the final one for the show.
Amazon struck a deal in 2019 to bring a new Tomb Raider TV show to Amazon Prime TV. Phoebe Waller-Bridge will create and write the series, while Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner has signed up to play the part of Lara Croft.
Production of the new series is planned to start in January 2026, with a 2027 release date pencilled in. Crystal Dynamics is involved as an executive producer, but the company layoffs are unlikely to impact the Amazon show.
The last time we saw a non-animated Tomb Raider on the big screen was the 2018 film. Tomb Raider was a reboot for the series, with Alicia Vikander playing Lara Croft.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life were released in the early 2000s. Angelina Jolie was cast as Lara Croft in both movies, doing a sterling job.
Long-Serving Series Deserves a New Game
The franchise has built up quite the cult following since the original game was released in 1996. The 2013 reboot, the start of the Survival trilogy, took the series to new heights and introduced new gamers to Tomb Raider. There have been remasters, with Tomb Raider: Anniversary also coming to PS4 and PS5.
After the extremely successful Rise of the Tomb Raider, which released on Xbox One in 2015, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the only game we have had since. The last one was released in 2018, meaning fans have had to wait seven years and counting for the next instalment.
The series has been huge in the gaming world since the PlayStation One era, and the franchise certainly deserved another reboot. We are hopeful that the latest Crystal Dynamics layoffs will not affect the next game too much, as playing as Lara Croft on next-generation hardware will be a real treat for Tomb Raider fans.
