Square Enix Weighs in on Rumored Rise of the Tomb Raider Sequel

Yesterday at Gamescom, Sqaure Enix revealed that the story arc that began with 2013's Tomb Raider reboot and continues with this year's Rise of the Tomb Raider will carry on with a third game as part of a trilogy. The quote came from Square Enix Americas and Europe CEO Phil Rogers, and it appears to have come too early, as a follow-up to Rise of the Tomb Raider had not been previously announced.

Now, Square Enix has weighed in on the matter with a new statement sent to GameSpot.

"We're always thinking about the future of the franchise, but right now we're focused on the upcoming release of Rise of the Tomb Raider," the company said.

A follow-up to Rise of the Tomb Raider wouldn't be altogether surprising, however. Back in 2012, before the release of the Tomb Raider reboot, then-global brand director Karl Stewart said Crystal Dynamics would need multiple games to tell Lara Croft's new story.

"You have to look at the future, you have to look at where…It's not just one game," Stewart said at the time. "I have to be careful because I know exactly where she's going."

Rise of the Tomb Raider launches on November 10 as a timed-exclusive for Xbox One and Xbox 360. It will be released for PC and PlayStation 4 in 2016. The game's exclusivity arrangement with Microsoft has ruffled some feathers, but Square Enix stresses that Tomb Raider is not becoming an Xbox-only franchise.

We learned and saw a lot more of Rise of the Tomb Raider this week at Gamescom. Check out some of the top stories and previews below.

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