It's official: Lara Croft is skipping E3

After weeks of rumors, Eidos representatives confirmed today that the next Tomb Raider game will not be shown at the 2004 E3 game expo. "It's official," said a rep regarding the no-show, which was first hinted at in the European games press last month.

Little is known about the new Tomb Raider, which is the seventh in the series. Following the disappointing reception of Angel of Darkness, Eidos took the game away from Core, the studio behind the franchise's previous installments, and gave it to Legacy of Kain developer Crystal Dynamics. Celebrity developer Warren Spector is reportedly overseeing the project, along with several members of his Ion Storm studio.

For E3 attendees, Tomb Raider's no-show will mean there won't be a scantily clad "booth babe" dressed as Lara Croft on hand at Eidos' E3 booth. In the past, actresses such as The Practice's Rhona Mitra played the adventuress at the expo.

Although it hasn't been officially announced, Tomb Raider VII is tentatively slated for a summer 2005 release. The game will be available for the PlayStation 2 and PC under its as-yet-unknown final title.