History of Tomb Raider Timeline

The remastered compilation covers the first three games in the Tomb Raider series originally developed by Core Design between 1996 and 1998, preserving a defining era of the franchise.

Image source: Tomb Raider I–III Remastered

Tomb Raider, the first game in the series originally developed by Core Design, launched in 1996. It introduced Lara Croft and became a landmark action-adventure title that would later be included in the Tomb Raider I–III Remastered collection.

Tomb Raider II, developed by Core Design, was released in 1997 as the sequel to the original game. It expanded on Lara Croft's adventures and was later remastered as part of the Tomb Raider I–III Remastered compilation.

Tomb Raider III, the third entry in the Core Design-developed series, arrived in 1998. Together with its two predecessors, it formed the basis of the later Tomb Raider I–III Remastered collection.

Realtech VR previously developed remasters of the first two Tomb Raider titles for iOS and Android, laying groundwork for future remaster efforts of the classic games.

Embracer Group acquired Tomb Rider rights among several other assets from Square Enix Europe in 2022, gaining ownership of the franchise.

After acquiring Tomb Raider among other assets from Square Enix Europe, Embracer Group expressed interest in sequels, remakes, and remasters of established franchises, including Tomb Raider, setting the stage for new projects.

In late 2022, Aspyr contacted Tomb Raider co-creator Paul Douglas, who located the original source code and assets to assist with the ports of the classic games.

In 2018, Realtech VR announced plans to release remasters of the first three Tomb Raider games on Steam, signaling renewed interest in bringing the classic trilogy to PC players.

Tomb Raider I–III Remastered was revealed on 14 September 2023 during a Nintendo Direct, announcing a release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 14 February 2024.