Many fans feared the worse upon hearing about the recent Tomb Raider delay, however Crystal Dynamics have confirmed that it is simply due to a natural evolution in its development plan.

In the developer’s latest podcast, studio head Darrell Gallagher denied suggestions that the delay was to iron out significant issues: ”Definitely that is not what happened,” he said. ”Making games is not a science, right? It’s very complex. In a lot of cases you’re doing things for the first time. You’re trying to break new ground with every game you try and make. So it’s not like you’re repeating the same old formula time and time again.”

“For us it is really more about refining what we have, less about new features, less about ‘horribly wrong’ than just saying, hey, this is the natural evolution of what we once started, what we intended to do. We want to see that through. We have a commitment, and we didn’t want to compromise that original commitment and vision to put the game out a few months earlier.”

“We have the whole game in place, it’s great to see start to finish, you can play it beginning to end, and it’s in great shape. We have a great structure of a game here,” Gallagher added.

It’s good to get some clarification on the reasons behind the delay, it always makes fans feel better and prevents the rumor mill from churning. Luckily there’s nothing seriously wrong with the game, which should ensure that the game will not receive a further delay next year. More developers should take the time to share the reasons behind a game’s delay, it makes everything easier in the long run.

Source: Crystal Dynamics