Microsoft marketing head Aaron Greenberg has confirmed that they are taking publishing duties for Rise of the Tomb Raider.
@diosmekemeke Yes we are publishing Rise of the Tomb Raider.
— Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) December 8, 2014
Microsoft originally revealed that they snagged the game as an Xbox exclusive in this year’s Gamescom, at a special press conference. Then as well as now, Spencer has emphasized that their interest in Tomb Raider is because it is a game in a genre that Microsoft does not already have a franchise for. Spencer compared Tomb Raider to Uncharted then, and recently, he alluded to Killer Instinct to point out why they are not acting on Street Fighter 5’s exclusivity with PS4.
Checking back to their Tumblr FAQ from three months ago, Crystal Dynamics have not updated it with this information. All the FAQ confirms is that Crystal Dynamics is focused on bringing the game to Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and that it will be coming in Holiday 2015.
This revelation likely means that the game will never reach Playstation or Nintendo platforms. Instead, much like other Xbox One exclusives such as Rise: Son of Rome or Dead Rising 3, a Steam port is likely to be in the offering. Since those games came out on PC a few months after Xbox One, Rise of the Tomb Raider will likely also be appearing Q1 2016, Q2 at the latest.
