Crystal Dynamics has a full plate. On top of assisting The Initiative with the upcomingPerfect DarkReboot, it’s still working on content for its live-serviceMarvel’s Avengersgame. So, it was a bit of a shock when the company confirmed it was working on a newTomb Raidergame on Unreal Engine 5. Many are looking forward to the advancements of this new engine, andTomb Raideris far from the first to make this announcement.
Recently, CD Projekt Red announced it was working on anewWitchergame on Unreal Engine 5, moving away from its in-house REDengine. Aside from their development on Unreal Engine 5,The WitcherandTomb Raiderdon’t necessarily have too much in common. One is an open-world fantasy RPG, and the other is more of an action-adventure game after all. However, these recent announcements draw an interesting parallel between the two games.
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New Witcher and Tomb Raider Game Announcements
Namely, it appears that both CD Projekt Red and Crystal Dynamics are going back to their more popular franchises after their latest mishaps. BothMarvel’s AvengersandCyberpunk 2077were heavily criticized at launch, and while both games have improved and added new content since then, many may not have as much faith in these two developers as before. It would be a stretch to say it’s intentional, but on the surface, it appears that CD Projekt Red and Crystal Dynamics are making these announcements because they are guaranteed successes.
A successful newWitcherandTomb Raidergame on Unreal Engine 5would do a lot to gain back fans lost byCyberpunk 2077orAvengers. It could have always been the plan to go back to theWitcherand toTomb Raiderafter their predecessors—that would be more than understandable—but it certainly looks more along the lines of a “last game was not great, so let’s use this franchise power in this announcement.”
Announcingnew titles on Unreal Engine 5is also likely just to sell the idea of UE5, not that it’s especially needed, but there’s also the idea that these games are still likely years away, adding to this overall appearance.
Witcher, Tomb Raider, and the Nature of Video Game Announcements
It’s not the first time a tactic like this has been seemingly used. Video game announcements, even brief confirmations, build a lot of hype and improve the perception of a developer—that’s true. Just as video game delays, however needed or good they are, tend to have a negative reaction, announcements tend to have a positive reaction. Using that hype for more than just the new game, but to bring some positivity back, isn’t altogether uncommon.
For example, many postulate that theElder Scroll 6’s announcement was to pull away from the negativity surroundingFallout 76’s announcement and launch. While this cannot be proved, the fact thatElder Scrolls 6is STILL years awaysays something. Another good example is the recentGrand Theft Auto 6announcement, which followed a rare rocky road for Rockstar Games, and all announcements like these have the benefit of detracting from existing negativity.
It’s not the perfect 1:1 comparison, butAnthem’s cancellation means that BioWare is sticking to its guns, with the company focusing on the nextDragon AgeandMass Effectgames. Absolutely, even afterAnthem’s downfall, many are looking forward to these two games. The short of it is that, many times, companies have returned to a more reliable, high profile IP after a new one doesn’t hit the mark it needs.
The problem with this is that new video game IPs breathe new life into the industry. For all of their shortcomings,Anthem, Cyberpunk 2077, and a bigMarvel’s Avengers live-service game were something new for fans. Sequels are great, needed, and popular for a reason, but hopefully, this doesn’t happen enough that the idea ofnew IPs in the gaming industrybecomes even more daunting.
NewWitcherandTomb Raidergames are in development.
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