Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics announced an unknown number of layoffs yesterday, vaguely citing “evolving business decisions,” as the reason.
The studio shared the news on LinkedIn, writing that the decision wasn’t made lightly and was made to “ensure the long-term health of our studio and core creative priorities in a continually shifting market.”
“To those impacted – we recognize and thank you for your hard work, talent, and passion. We are committed to offering the full extent of support and resources at our disposal during this transition,” reads Crystal Dynamics’ statement.
The message ends with confirmation that the future of Tomb Raider, including an upcoming new title, will be unaffected by the layoffs.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Crystal Dynamics does not elaborate further, but it’s worth noting the studio had been working on the recently canceled reboot of Perfect Dark alongside the game’s primary – and now defunct – developer, The Initiative. It’s hard to imagine this didn’t have some factor in yesterday’s layoffs.
The news comes after the studio laid off 17 employees in March. As of now, Crystal Dynamics, which was acquired by Embracer Group in 2022, has a new single-player Tomb Raider title in the works. First announced in 2022, the project will be published by Amazon Games and built in Unreal Engine 5. We know little about the game beyond this, and a release window is unknown.
Crystal Dynamics has not shipped a new triple-A title since the polarizing Marvel’s Avengers in 2020, though it collaborated with Aspyr on Tomb Raider I-III/IV-VI Remastered collections, released in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and 2024’s Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered.
