A new leak suggests that Tomb Raider: Catalyst could feature an open world, which would mark a first for the 30-year-old action-adventure series. Fixed past Tomb Raider games have had large open spaces for players to explore, none have had a full-fledged, seamless open world.
After some soft messages in the years before, Tomb Raider: Catalyst was officially revealed in full at The Game Awards 2025, where it appeared together Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. While The Legacy of Atlantis will be a remake of the 1996 original Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider: Catalyst will be a brand new entry in the franchise. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will be released sometime this year, with Catalyst currently set for launch in 2027.
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Rumor — Tomb Raider: Catalyst may feature an open world
Back in May 2024, X-user V Scooper – a leaker primarily known for sharing movie and TV leaks and rumors – claimed that the next Tomb Raider the game would be “completely open world and set in India.” V Scooper's post also claimed that players would have free use of Lara Croft's motorcycle and have access to a parachute. Tomb Raider: Catalysts announcement trailer confirmed that the game will be set in northern India, and now V Scooper is doubling down on its 2024 claims.
On January 28, 2026, V Scooper posted a screenshot of the final moments of Tomb Raider: Catalysts reveal trailer for X, with an attached caption reading “This shot alone already suggests Tomb Raider Catalyst is a fully open world.” The leaker goes on to say that snow-capped mountains, jungles, and deserts can all be seen in the screenshot, and that the image hints at the existence of a “single continuous map, not isolated regions” just as they previously claimed. V Scooper's post has received a mixed reception from fans. While some open world fans have expressed their fully open world. Tomb Raiderothers have been quick to express their concerns about this possible direction for the series, like X-user @RinoTheBouncer who responded to V Scooper's post with “9 times out of 10, open-world games tend to be bloated… and they lack a sense of gradual pacing for story and exploration.”
Of course, all leaks and rumors should always be taken with a big pinch of salt, but this Tomb Raider: Catalyst open world theory at least seems plausible. In a GamesRadar+ interview with Scot Amos following the game's December 2025 reveal, Crystal Dynamics Studio Head said that Catalyst is “the greatest Tomb Raider as we've done so far.” While this is a very broad statement that could mean a whole host of different things, an open world would be a safe way to Tomb Raider: Catalyst the largest record that Crystal Dynamics has ever worked on.
Fixed Tomb Raider: Catalysts trailer didn't show the motorcycle or parachute features that V Scooper originally reported on in May 2024, it emphasized Lara Croft's grappling hook, which she used for both traversing and combat in the trailer. Crystal Dynamics hasn't confirmed the exact gameplay mechanics behind the grappling hook yet, but it would certainly make sense for it to be used extensively during exploration. This would be particularly appropriate for Tomb Raider: Catalystwhich the game is confirmed to be a sequel to Tomb Raider: Underworldwhich in itself put a strong focus on Lara's grappling hook during traversal and puzzle solving. The trailer for Tomb Raider: Catalyst also briefly shows Lara running on the wall, although this may be purely for the sake of the trailer and not an actual gameplay mechanic.
- Released
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2027
- Publisher
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Amazon games
- Number of players
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Single player
