Tomb Raider reveal confirmed for The Game Awards 2025, Geoff Keighley sets the stage
The announcement comes after years of silence and major restructuring at Crystal Dynamics.
The silence surrounding one of gaming’s most enduring icons is finally about to break. The Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley has officially confirmed that Tomb Raider will return during this year’s ceremony.
The news was first spotted by eagle-eyed players participating in “The Game Awards Vote” map in Fortnite, where a portal revealed the upcoming announcement. Keighley subsequently took to X (formerly Twitter) to set the stage for this Thursday, December 11. “Tune in Thursday night for a look at the future of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises,” he wrote. “This is one you won’t want to miss.”
Lara Croft returns at #TheGameAwards!
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 8, 2025
As just revealed in our The Game Awards Vote in Fortnite map portal, tune in Thursday night for a look at the future of one of gaming's most iconic franchises @tombraider
This is one you won't want to miss. pic.twitter.com/TSbWkyhAbI
While Keighley’s wording was careful not to specify the exact nature of the reveal, all signs point to a major update on the next mainline video game. Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the modern Tomb Raider trilogy, announced back in April 2022 that development had “just started” on a new entry powered by Unreal Engine 5. For players, this engine choice promises a significant leap in visual fidelity and physics, potentially delivering the most realistic tomb-raiding experience to date.
However, the road to this announcement has been rocky for the developers. Crystal Dynamics has navigated a turbulent period, facing four separate rounds of staff cuts over the last two years—most recently just last month. In statements addressing these changes, the studio has consistently maintained that these restructuring efforts were designed to “optimize the continued development” of their flagship Tomb Raider title.
When are the 2025 GOTY awards?
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The Game Awards 2025 will take place on Thursday, December 11, and, as always, it will last just over three hours, so get ready. The show will begin at 4:30 p.m. PST with a 30-minute preshow. Here are the times across the United States:
- 7:30 pm ET
- 6:30 pm CT
- 4:30 pm PT
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