Microsoft's timed exclusivity deal for Rise of the Tomb Raider back in 2015 cost the company $100 million, according to the LinkedIn profile of a former Square Enix employee. First found by Twitter user Timur222, Crey Games CEO Fabien Rossini revealed the figure in the "About" section of his LinkedIn profile when describing his time working for Square Enix.
Rossini's "About" section states that he advanced from the role of Global Brand Director to Strategic Planning and Corporte Planning Director during his 10 year period with Square Enix, and played a pivotal role in "negotiating $100m Tomb Raider exclusivity deal with Microsoft."
Rise of the Tomb Raider caused understandable outrage back when it first released, unexpectedly becoming an Xbox One exclusive for a year due to Square Enix's negotiations with Microsoft. It was never revealed just how much Microsoft had to pay Square Enix for that privilege, but this news definitely makes it seem like Microsoft broke the bank to make sure the game was only available on Xbox consoles for as long as possible.
For now, those looking to revisit the Tomb Raider series may be interested to know that Shadow of the Tomb Raider has recently been updated to support 4K visuals and a 60fps frame rate on both Xbox Series X and PS5. Neither publisher has officially acknowledged the update, but next-gen console owners should be able to download the update automatically the next time they boot up the game. However, this new update doesn't really do enough to fix the game's bigger problems.
As for the future of the Tomb Raider franchise, there is no news on a new game, but the creator of the Tomb Raider series recently shared a trailer of their new game during this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase. Dream Cycle is a first-person action-adventure title from Toby Gard which sees you play as protagonist Morgan Carter as they fight monsters and demons in the Dreamlands. If you'e interested, you can wishlist the game on Steam before it releases on September 7.