Crystal Dynamics

Crystal Dynamics is a developer and publisher.

Crystal Dynamics Webpage, Facebook

Crystal Dynamics is an American development studio - originally also operating as a publisher - founded in 1992 and producing titles for both personal computers and consoles. From 2009 to 2022, the company operated under the Japanese publishing giant Square Enix, after which it became part of the Swedish Embracer Group.

In its early years, Crystal Dynamics gained recognition as the creator of classic console-oriented action titles, including Gex and Pandemonium. Another key entry in the developer's catalog was the Legacy of Kain series, which the studio took over in 1999. In 2003, Crystal Dynamics was entrusted with revitalizing the iconic Tomb Raider franchise, and from that point on the company became closely tied to the brand. It went on to develop the main entries in the series as well as several spin-offs, including Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris.

The history of Crystal Dynamics

Crystal Dynamics was founded in mid-1992 by three former SEGA employees: Judy Lang, Madeline Canepa, and Dave Morse. Early on, it became one of the first licensed developers for the 3DO console, which - despite its relatively short lifespan - secured a lasting place in gaming history. In 1993, Strauss Zelnick, then head of 20th Century Fox, assumed control of Crystal Dynamics. Under his leadership, the studio created and launched its first title for the platform, the action-racing production Crash 'N Burn. In 1993-94, the company also adapted several legendary American Laser Games titles for the 3DO console, including Mad Dog McCree and Who Shot Johnny Rock?.

Legacy of Kain and other projects

With the launch of the PlayStation, Crystal Dynamics shifted focus to developing games for Sony's new console, taking advantage of its enhanced capabilities, including 3D graphics support. Between 1995 and 1998, two entries in the platformer series, Gex and Pandemonium, launched on the popular PlayStation One. Both series turned out to be major successes for the studio, becoming some of the most popular titles on the PlayStation. In 1998, Crystal Dynamics ceased to be independent after being acquired by the British developer and publisher Eidos Interactive (now part of Square Enix). The new owner tasked the studio with continuing the Legacy of Kain series, which had started in 1997. In the following years, Crystal Dynamics produced four highly acclaimed installments: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999), Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (2001), Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002), and Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003).

Meanwhile, Crystal Dynamics developed several lesser-known titles, including the cartoonish racing game Mad Dash Racing (2001) and the platformers 102 Dalmatians (2000) and Whiplash (2003). In 2005, the studio released its latest new IP, the first-person shooter Project: Snowblind. Interestingly, the title was originally planned as a full-fledged third installment in the Deus Ex series, but after Deus Ex: Invisible War underperformed, it was released as a standalone game, serving as a spiritual successor to the iconic Deus Ex.

Taking over the Tomb Raider series

A real turning point in Crystal Dynamics' history came in 2003, when Eidos Interactive entrusted the studio with further developing the best-selling Tomb Raider series, which, despite its lasting popularity with players, was increasingly criticized for being repetitive and lacking innovation. Released between 2006 and 2008, Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and Tomb Raider: Underworld, though not revolutionary in gameplay, were high-quality titles that upheld the legacy of their iconic brand. In 2009, the studio's owner, Eidos Interactive, was acquired by the Japanese publishing giant Square Enix, which opted to partially downsize the team and temporarily put the Tomb Raider series on hold. In early 2012, it was announced that the studio was developing a completely new franchise, but a few months later it was clarified that it would be connected to the Tomb Raider series and feature a similar style of gameplay.

During this period, the developer prepared the third full installment of its historic franchise with the release of GEX 3: Deep Cover Gecko (2009). In 2010, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light debuted, launching a new sub-series featuring Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider franchise. This "new franchise" emerged in 2013, turning out to be another entry in the well-known series, simply titled Tomb Raider. Created as a kind of reboot, the game finally delivered a long-awaited transformation for the series, introducing modernized mechanics, semi-open environments, and survival elements. Lara Croft herself was also significantly transformed, evolving from a seasoned archaeologist into a young, inexperienced adventurer gradually developing her signature skills. The new incarnation of the Tomb Raider series proved to be a huge success, and in 2015, a sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, building on its predecessor's ideas, was launched. Meanwhile, another entry in the spin-off sub-series following Lara Croft's adventures was also released.

Even with the studio's recent games achieving considerable success, several major staff changes took place between 2015 and 2016. Darrell Gallagher, the former head of Crystal Dynamics, departed in December 2015, followed by Brian Horton, the creative director of Rise of the Tomb Raider, who left in January 2016. Since that time, Crystal Dynamics has been co-led by Ron Rosenberg and Scott Amos.

Problems with the Avengers

In January 2017, it was announced that Crystal Dynamics had been entrusted with developing a title featuring the Avengers. However, the production, titled The Avengers Project, remained largely under wraps for an extended period. In March 2018, it was announced that Lara Croft's new adventure trilogy would conclude with Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It turned out that Crystal Dynamics, previously responsible for developing the franchise, was only overseeing the project, while actual development was handed over to Eidos Montreal.

We heard about The Avengers Project once again in May 2019. That was when we learned the project's title: Marvel's Avengers. The first trailer for the game premiered at E3 in June. That was also when it was revealed that the game would be an action-adventure title, playable both solo and in cooperative multiplayer. Although the game was originally slated for release on May 15th, 2020, in January 2020 it was announced that the launch had been postponed to September 4th. In June, it was announced that besides PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, the title would also be released later on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Although early reviews were positive, Marvel's Avengers faced several significant issues. The game rapidly began losing its player base, and by October 8th - only a month after launch - it was struggling to find enough players for cooperative sessions. On November 7th, Square Enix released its financial results for the period from April 1st to September 30th, 2020, which clearly confirmed that the project had been a complete failure.

Despite its poor reception, the game received extensive post-launch support, with developers regularly adding new content. On March 18th, 2021, the title finally launched on ninth-generation consoles, and on September 30th, it was added to Xbox Game Pass. On November 4th, Square Enix provided another update on the project. Yosuke Matsuda, the company's president, attributed the situation to the poor choice of studio, noting that the project's demands did not align with the studio's "unique qualities and talents".

Marvel's Avengers wasn't the only project Crystal Dynamics was working on. In September 2021, it was announced that the studio was collaborating with Microsoft's The Initiative team, and the upcoming reboot of the Perfect Dark series would be their joint effort. Interestingly, The Initiative was led by Darrell Gallagher, who had previously headed Crystal Dynamics until December 2015.

In April 2022, it was revealed that Perfect Dark was not the only project Crystal Dynamics was developing at the time. The team confirmed that they were working on the next installment in the Tomb Raider series, which would be built using Unreal Engine 5. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Jeff Ross, one of the directors of Days Gone, had joined the team.

Joining the Embracer Group

In May 2022, news broke that Crystal Dynamics, together with Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, had been acquired by the Swedish Embracer Group. In a $300 million deal, the giant acquired not only the studio but also the rights to 50 of its games, including the Tomb Raider and Legacy of Kain franchises, among others. Interestingly, in September 2022, the latter was transferred to the studio.

In December 2022, it was announced that Amazon Games would publish the thirteenth Tomb Raider installment, promoted as the largest entry in the series. In January 2023, Crystal Dynamics announced that support for Marvel's Avengers would conclude on September 30th, 2023. Patch 2.8, which included the final balance changes, was originally scheduled for release on March 31st.

In February, unofficial reports emerged suggesting that Amazon Games was considering acquiring the rights to the entire Tomb Raider franchise. Shortly afterward, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal unveiled their roadmap, which includes the release of five AAA titles by March 31st, 2028.

In September 2023, Crystal Dynamics was affected by a restructuring at its parent company, Embracer Group. As a result, 10 people lost their jobs; nine in marketing and one in IT. Nevertheless, the studio offered them adequate support.

In 2024, Crystal Dynamics expanded its portfolio through a collaboration with Aspyr Media on the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered collections. In early 2025, the Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered collection was added to this lineup. All of these collections received a positive reception from both players and critics.

However, in late March 2025, it was announced that 17 more employees had departed from the studio. The studio cited business considerations for the layoffs and highlighted that assistance was provided to all staff impacted. Crystal Dynamics also assured that the layoffs would not affect ongoing projects or future plans.