Being able to capture an audience’s attention and tell a vibrant story in just a few minutes or less is no easy feat, which is why the amount of work that goes into a cinematic trailer for a game, like Tomb Raider: Catalyst, cannot be understated.
I had the chance to speak with Tomasz Suwalski, one of the minds behind the Tomb Raider: Catalyst trailers that stole the show at The Game Awards 2025, courtesy of the Platige Image team. We dug into his directing work, the journey the project took his team on, and the effort that goes into crafting a memorable trailer.
A tremendous joy to work on
As an observer, I struggle to think where I’d even start with a project like a cinematic trailer; a storyboard or a moodboard, perhaps, or maybe even sketches? I asked Tomasz Suwalski what the first step was for him and the team once they found out they were working on the Tomb Raider: Catalyst trailer.
“First off, it was a tremendous joy,” Suwalski explained, “As we all remember playing the first Tomb Raider in 1996…being able to add a piece to the franchise after 30 years of existence was certainly significant.
“For the first steps for Catalyst, we worked creatively with the amazing agency GNet from LA, so for me, it was crucial to get on the same page… and align on what kind of piece we wanted to make.”
The team then worked on precise storyboards for each individual shot and scene in the trailer, moving the conversation from abstract theming and tone into a tangible, visual format.
I wondered if it was more challenging to work on trailers for legacy franchises or brand-new titles. Suwalski shared that both had their challenges; fresh franchises require a good level of balance with what’s shown and what’s kept as a mystery, while established series rely on meeting – or exceeding – fan expectations.
Something that stands out about the Tomb Raider: Catalyst trailer is how visually intricate and vibrant it feels.
Suwalski explained that the game’s Indian setting was a major source of inspiration for the team, praising the beauty of Diwali as seen in the opening shots. The Tomb Raider movies also served as visual inspiration, especially the 2018 iteration, which guided the trailer’s lighting choices and color grading.
“Given the rich world and vast franchise history,” Suwalski explained, “There were plenty of sources to draw inspiration from.”
Bringing the trailer to life
I was curious about how the characters in the Catalyst trailer were brought to life, as they look particularly realistic. Sometimes, games in this art style can suffer from an uncanny valley effect, where the models don’t quite look human or believable, but thankfully, this wasn’t the case here.
“We’re using the in-game assets for characters but adding a bit of high-end CGI sparkle on top,” Suwalski explained, continuing, “Then, with the actors’ performance transferred to a face mesh and proper composition and lighting, we try to make it as believable as possible.”
Looking at challenging scenes, Suwalski pointed out both the tomb battle section and the final shot of the trailer as the most technically demanding.
For the fight sequence, the team had limited screen time to convey what they wanted and to edit a large number of characters into a clear, exciting scene. With the final shot, the team had to juggle a vast landscape with smooth motion, simulations, and a 180-degree orbit.
Looking at The Game Awards as a whole, I wondered how long it took the teams behind the trailers to bring their work to life.
“It depends on the project runtime and complexity, so it can vary a lot… we’re not allowed to disclose a precise amount of time, but as a generalization, I can say that it takes months,” Suwalski elaborated.
On whether it added pressure or excitement to create something for what is essentially the gaming Super Bowl, the creative said that he felt it was more exciting than nerve-wracking to work on a project like the Catalyst trailer.
“It gives the team a clear deadline and anchor, we know what we’re aiming for and what’s at stake,” he explained, “…When the event comes, it’s great to witness it on site or online, watching all the work from studios around the world and ours among it.”
One thing’s for certain – Tomb Raider: Catalyst is looking like a dream for action-adventure fans so far, based on the vibrant teaser trailer. Fans of adventure games and the wider Tomb Raider series should keep an eye out when 2027 rolls around, as it’s gearing up to be a spectacular release.
FAQs
Tomb Raider: Catalyst is due to come out in 2027. Further release details have not been confirmed at the time of writing.
Tomb Raider: Catalyst is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Amazon Game Studios.
The Tomb Raider: Catalyst platform list includes PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
At the time of writing, there are no details about Catalyst coming to Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2.
