Crystal Dynamics

Crystal Dynamics, Inc.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	July 8, 1992 in Palo Alto, California, US
Founders	Madeline Canepa; Judy Lange; Dave Morse;
Headquarters	San Mateo, California, US
Key people	Scot Amos (head of studio)
Products	Tomb Raider series; Legacy of Kain series; Gex series;
Number of employees	273 (2022)
Parent	Eidos Interactive (1998–2009); Square Enix Limited (2009–2022); CDE Entertainment (2022–present);
Divisions	Crystal Northwest; Crystal Southwest;
Website	crystaldynamics.com

Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California. The studio is best known for its games in the Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, and Gex series.

Madeline Canepa, Judy Lange, and Dave Morse founded Crystal Dynamics as a spin-off from The 3DO Company in July 1992. Initially focusing on the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console, the studio's first title, Crash 'N Burn (1993), was the system's pack-in game. In 1994, it became the first developer for the PlayStation outside Japan and soon began converting its older titles for the system. The studio also created Gex (1995) and published Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996), later expanding both into franchises. Facing financial hardships in 1996, the company's investors instituted significant layoffs and the discontinuation of its game publishing business. As fiscal issues persisted, the publisher Eidos Interactive acquired the studio in November 1998.

In 2003, Eidos Interactive put Crystal Dynamics in charge of the Tomb Raider series, and the studio consequently developed a modernized trilogy with Tomb Raider: Legend (2006), Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007), and Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008). In 2009, Crystal Dynamics became part of the Japanese conglomerate Square Enix as that company acquired and consolidated Eidos Interactive's parent company. The studio then developed the first two games in a Tomb Raider reboot trilogy—Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)—and shifted into a support role for Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) while working on Marvel's Avengers (2020). Square Enix sold Crystal Dynamics to Embracer Group in August 2022.

As of 2022, Crystal Dynamics employs 273 people across three studios under the leadership of head of studio Scot Amos. It is working on another Tomb Raider game and co-developing Perfect Dark.