Days Gone director joins Tomb Raider studio

Rise of the Tomb Raider
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics has recruited the director of Days Gone.

Jeff Ross, the director of PlayStation exclusive Days Gone, is swapping zombie action for treasure hunting as he joins Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics. 

In a tweet, Ross says, "I'm excited to announce I now work at the amazing Crystal Dynamics as Design Director. That's all I can say other than I'm thrilled with the project, and especially the team of really wonderful people."

Ross doesn't give any further details on his new role, but given that Crystal Dynamics announced just yesterday that it has a new Tomb Raider game in the works, it's fair to assume that he could be involved in Lara's next gun-toting adventure.

Ross departed Days Gone developer Bend Studio back in 2020 alongside fellow high-profile developer John Garvin, who worked as writer and director for Days Gone. There has been speculation that Ross' departure was due to Sony's decision not to greenlight a follow-up to Days Gone. Ross was disappointed that a sequel to the 2019 action title wouldn't be going ahead, saying that Days Gone 2 would have had better tech and a more dynamic open world.

The Days Gone director also wanted to make an Uncharted spin-off focusing on a young Sully.

As well as the newly announced Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamic is also working on a Perfect Dark reboot alongside Microsoft studio The Initiative.

If you want to know which of Lara's previous adventures are absolute gems and which are best left buried, check out our guide to the best Tomb Raider games of all time.

Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and Games Radar. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.

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