Out of nowhere, the second major Tomb Raider game, Catalyst from developer Crystal Dynamics, has been stealthily delayed by Amazon Game Studios.
In a lengthy interview with The Game Business on July 23, Amazon Games‘ boss Jeff Gattis sneakily mentioned that Tomb Raider Catalyst would duck its 2027 release window, instead releasing in 2028.
„We have announced the two Tomb Raider titles,“ Gattis said. „[Legacy of] Atlantis comes February 12 next year, and then we’ll follow on in 2028 with the next one. We’re excited about those. There are some other AAA things that are in various stages of discussion right now.“
It appears that the reason for this delay, at least according to Gattis, is to allow Amazon Games Studios to focus on bolstering its streaming service, Luna. That way, when Catalyst does come out, people will associate Luna with Tomb Raider.
„Ultimately, we want to build an identity with Luna, where we have a content portfolio that resonates with people, where they think, ‚Oh gosh, that’s the place that has Tomb Raider, and maybe Bond, and they have these other things,'“ Gattis said. „And that takes time to go build. But, for us to be the platform we want to be, and the one we believe we can be, you very much have to have original content.“
Catalyst’s delay follows the recent news that the other major Tomb Raider game, Legacy of Atlantis (which is a remake of the OG Tomb Raider game), was pushed to 2027. Both projects are being developed by Crystal Dynamics, with Flying Wild Hog co-developing Legacy of Atlantis.
The fourteenth entry in the Tomb Raider franchise, Catalyst is a sequel to 2008’s Tomb Raider: Underworld and follows Lara Croft as she navigates the aftermath of a mythical cataclysm. Again, Crystal Dynamics is developing the game, but the team suffered its fourth round of layoffs in the past year in March 2026.