Microsoft’s exclusivity deal to bring Rise of the Tomb Raider to Xbox One and Xbox 360 first will last for one year, Square Enix has revealed.
The upcoming game will launch on November 10th on Microsoft’s console, while the PS4 and PS3 versions will release in “holiday 2016.” Fortunately for PC owners, Microsoft will be bringing the game to PC in early 2016, so they’ll get the game ahead of owners of Sony’s consoles.
Square kept quiet about if there were any official plans to bring Rise of the Tomb Raider to the PS4, but this is official confirmation that, while it’s still a long way off, gamers will eventually be able to play through Lara Croft’s next outing if they don’t own an Xbox One or Xbox 360.
Square Enix made the announcement alongside a rundown of the game’s plot, which is as follows:
In the critically acclaimed Tomb Raider, Lara Croft survived a harrowing experience only to be discredited as part of a cover up. Now, after uncovering an ancient mystery, Lara must explore the most treacherous and remote regions of Siberia to find the secret of immortality before a ruthless organization known as Trinity. Lara must use her wits and survival skills, form new alliances, and ultimately embrace her destiny as the Tomb Raider.
Experience high-octane action moments, conquer beautifully hostile environments, engage in brutal guerrilla combat, and explore awe-inspiring deadly tombs in the evolution of survival action. In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara becomes more than a survivor as she embarks on her first great Tomb Raiding expedition.
I’m not a big fan of exclusivity deals such as these, outside of when they actually benefit the development of a game (see: Bayonetta 2), but at least PS4 and PS3 owners will get to experience the game in the future, even if they hype train has long left the station by that point. Square and Microsoft will be hoping that Rise of the Tomb Raider proves to be a big hit on the Xbox consoles in order to justify the game’s timed exclusivity.
