Crystal Dynamics, the video game company known for collaborating with Square ENIX in their work on the Tomb Raider franchise made a ton of big announcements in 2016. It was the year of their 20th Anniversary, which, naturally, seems like a great milestone to aggressively expand. Now in 2017 they have another big announcement.

Presently, Crystal Dynamics has the new Tomb Raider movie in production with Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), and the recent announcement of their partnership with Marvel on a new Avengers video game project. Some very exciting, different projects on their plate. In order to compensate for their serious workload, Crystal Dynamics announced today in a press release that they have moved into a new state-of-the-art studio.

The release states:

“After months of planning, building, and some very late nights for the construction crew, we’ve just moved into our glorious new state-of-the-art studio!” co-studio head Scot Amos revealed, “We have some great new amenities, from hydraulic desks for everyone to adjust as they like, to black-out shades and light absorption paint for those darkness-loving developers.”

“We’ve expanded to six fully equipped sound proof audio rooms too,” continued Amos. “With the growth of our team, we’ve also increased our studio meeting area and naturally outfitted it with tons of next-gen 4K screens, as well as dedicated console and PC gaming stations next to the huge new kitchen. Lastly, we’ve added two specialty rooms for optimal development efficiency: a photogrammetry capture space and our very own, on-site, fully equipped Motion Capture stage!"

Tomb Raider reboot

This new studio has allowed Crystal Dynamics to include more offices and conference rooms in addition to room dedicated to the review of dailies and one for equipment storage. All of these things suggest that Crystal Dynamics is looking to take on more projects like the aforementioned Tomb Raider and Avengers projects. According to co-studio head Ron Rosenberg:

“The new studio will help Crystal Dynamics take our work to the next level. Crystal Dynamics’ new studio is nearly double the size in order to make room for all the new positions we’re hiring over the next year.”

Crystal Dynamics has a variety of other projects -- including the Bad Omen video game franchise -- all of which could be primed for expansion outside of their original medium. Additionally, their partnership with Marvel Entertainment may lead to future video game enterprises, should this first Avengers project prove successful. It may very well herald a new Golden Age of Marvel video games.

Avengers Project Captain Americas Shield

This is an exciting move from Crystal Dynamics. If they have the opportunity to expand the scope of their projects and the IPs they already own and form an independent studio successfully, there is an exciting opportunity for more genre projects to be brought to life outside of the big two comic book companies (DC, Marvel). It feels an awful lot like what Valiant Comics is currently pursuing with the web series and film projects  that they are developing based on their own comic book properties.

The press release from Crystal Dynamics does not explicitly list any projects that they may have underway beyond the projects mentioned above. One would assume that if the company has expanded to an entirely new campus then they must need that space. It would have been more exciting if yet another project announcement -- or the hint of one -- accompanied the details of this studio space. Although that does not take anything away from the amazing development.

Screen Rant will have more details on Crystal Dynamics' Avengers project as new is made available.

Key Release Dates

  • Tomb Raider Lara Croft Alicia Vikander Poster
    Tomb Raider
    Release Date:
    2018-03-16