Alleged box art for the next Tomb Raider has leaked, but there’s confusion as to whether there are two new games or just the one.
While something Tomb Raider related is being revealed tonight at The Game Awards 2025, there are conflicting theories about what exactly it will be.
In 2021, Crystal Dynamics described the next Tomb Raider game as one that will unify the timelines of the original games with the modern reboot trilogy. More recently, rumours started to emerge that a remake was also underway, of the very first game from 1996.
The Game Awards isn’t due to start until 12:30am GMT on Friday, December 11, but images of the new Tomb Raider are believed to have leaked ahead of schedule, and they strongly point to the game being a remake of the very first Tomb Raider.
The box art for the game was posted to a private forum, before being more widely shared online and depicts Lara Croft in an updated version of her original outfit while wielding her iconic dual pistols.
The pose she’s striking is identical to the silhouette seen in the teaser for the announcement at The Game Awards. That increases the chances that it might be an AI fake, but if it is it’s much higher quality than previous examples – which is worrying for the future.
The title on the box art is Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis. The first Tomb Raider game from 1996 was all about Lara searching for Atlantis, with the final batch of levels taking place in the lost city itself.
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There are a handful of in-game screenshots from the trailer (via ResetEra) although considering it’s unclear where these images originate from, it’s best to take all this with a pinch of salt, especially when someone used generative AI to try and trick people into thinking a Shenmue 4 trailer had leaked.
On Reddit, one fan unfavourably compares the box art to ‘a Scholastic book fair book cover,’ while another asks, ‘How are the legs so detailed and realistic but then the face looks like it has a Snapchat makeup filter or something?’
If this leak is accurate, this would be the second remake of the first Tomb Raider following 2007’s Tomb Raider Anniversary, which is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and comes not long after the updated remasters of the original trilogy.
One possibility though, which could explain the competing rumours, is that the new game is a hard reboot that roughly follows the story of the original game, rather than being a direct remake like Anniversary.
However, shinobi602, who is widely regarded as a reliable insider, has claimed that there won’t just be one Tomb Raider announcement at The Game Awards, which could mean there’ll be reveals for both a remake and a new sequel.
In response to one person on ResetEra who said they’ll be upset if the announcement isn’t a new mainline game, shinobi602 replied with, ‘More than one thing. You won’t be upset.’
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