Tomb Raider 4 using Unreal Engine 5

Crystal Dynamics used Tuesday's The State of Unreal Event 2022 to announce Tomb Raider 4 is in development using Epic Games' next-generation game engine.



Game director Will Kerslake explained that the new game will 'unify' classic and reboot timelines:

"[Crystal Dynamics'] origin trilogy back in 2013 told the story of Lara's early days [...] while the classic games featured a seasoned and confident adventurer, travelling the world, unlocking its secrets, often standing alone against cataclysmic forces. We envision the future of Tomb Raider unfolding after these established adventures, telling stories that build upon the breadth of both Core Design and Crystal Dynamics' games, working to unify these timelines."

Camilla Luddington (Grey's Anatomy) provided the voice and motion capture reference for Lara Croft in the rebooted trilogy. Hopefully, she's reprising the role for the upcoming fourth instalment.

Rise of the Tomb Raider was published by Microsoft as a timed exclusive for Xbox when the Redmond-based company bankrolled the first sequel. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s another tie-in as Epic Games emphasised Unreal Engine 5 development on Xbox. However, it’s worth noting Sony, the owner of PlayStation, has a minority stake in Epic Games and Unreal Engine 5 was publicly demoed in 2020 on PlayStation 5 (PS5).



Microsoft has been buying AAA publishers to bolster Xbox Game Pass. Crystal Dynamics could be a good fit for Xbox Game Studios.

Tomb Raider 4 is one of several popular media franchises using Unreal Engine 5. The dominance of one game engine could be anti-competitive. However, the Unreal Engine has proven its scalability, powering franchises from BioShock to Mass Effect and Epic Games' very own Fortnite.