Rise Of The Tomb Raider Will Be An Xbox Exclusive

Crystal Dynamics and Microsoft today announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider, the sequel to 2013's acclaimed reboot of the Tomb Raider video game series, will be an Xbox One exclusive title.

On the official Tomb Raider blog, Crystal Dynamics head Darrell Gallagher explains why the decision to go Xbox One exclusive was made:

Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support. Our goal has always been to deliver something truly special with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Today's announcement with Microsoft is one step to help us put Tomb Raider on top of action adventure gaming. Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past - we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.

For fans of the series who were looking forward to playing the next installment on PC or PlayStation 4, Gallagher says the studio is not abandoning them, reminding them that Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available now for PlayStation 4 and that Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, the sequel to 2010's Lara Croft and the Guardians of Light downloadable spinoff game, will be available for both PlayStation 4 and PC in December.

Rise of th Tomb Raider is scheduled for release during the 2015 holiday season.