UNVERIFIED ACCOUNT LINKED TO TOMB RAIDER PRODUCER CRITICISES CRYSTAL DYNAMICS

[ 18 February 2026 ]

A YouTube account purporting to belong to Cedric Chassang, credited as Senior Production Coordinator on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, has published a strongly critical statement regarding Crystal Dynamics and the future of the Tomb Raider franchise. The authenticity of the account has not been independently verified; the comments are reproduced below in the interest of transparency and accurate reporting.

In a comment posted beneath a video discussing the series, the account stated: "Aw man... so much to unpack here. The original Tomb Raider is the game that got me to want to work in video games as a kid. Years later I ended up working on Shadow of the Tomb Raider as a producer. I'm proud of what we've done with my teams (Exploration, side quests and Challenge Tombs) but I agree with everything you said."

"The survival trilogy came about when Darrell Gallagher (an artist expedited head of Crystal Dynamics by Square Enix) decided to hand over the franchise to a bunch of egocentric, megalomaniac game directors, both at Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, who thought they were Hollywood worthy, only to demonstrate why they weren't while bullying anyone who would challenge their decisions. Square Enix of course had no idea about what the identity of Tomb Raider actually was and couldn't keep the IP in check. Gallagher then went onto another failed...... Initiative.... and the directors who used to work on the trilogy are now gone or working on something else."

"Tomb Raider Catalyst is now in the hands of god knows who, but still at Crystal Dynamics. And that studio is, well, not what it used to be, on top of being very.... californian. I am genuinely expecting the worst, with bad writing (as in story telling not dialogue), poor inspiration for the lore, no gameplay innovation, no real skill or cognitive challenge, identity politics aplenty and of course, a Lara only recognizable by her name. I may be wrong, I hope I'm wrong, but I know too well the ins and outs of this industry to have an ounce of optimism.... Good luck everyone, and may a miracle happen for our beloved franchise."

The comment references leadership decisions made during the tenure of Darrell Gallagher at Crystal Dynamics under Square Enix, as well as collaboration with Eidos-Montreal. Given that the ownership of the YouTube account remains unconfirmed, it is not possible to verify whether the views expressed represent those of the credited developer.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider