It has been about eight months since Tomb Raider’s previous director, Brian Horton bid adieu to Crystal Dynamics for Infinity Ward, the studio of Activision which is known for its Call of Duty game. Crystal Dynamics launched Rise of the Tomb Raider in January and it was the last title Horton had probably worked on.
Now, Crystal Dynamics has roped in Ian Milham to helm the Tomb Raider franchise as a game director. Milham, who has been in the industry for almost 20 years, started off his career as an environment artist, then transitioned into the role of an art director and finally to the role of a creative director. He spent a major chunk of his art director days at Electronic Arts’ Dead Space games (the series and its sequels). He further worked as a creative lead for Battlefield Hardline, at Visceral Games.
On a tumblr post announcing the news, Crystal Dynamics, co-head of studio, Scot Amos said, “Ian is one of those rare veterans who combine creativity, artistry, and passion into excellence on-screen. It’s a matching type of DNA that Crystal Dynamics has forged itself upon over these last few years.”
Millham also seemed quite excited about the position as his quote read, “Adventure games have always been my first love,” further adding, “When the opportunity came to join Crystal Dynamics, I had to jump on it. This is the home of Lara Croft, who is a legend in action-adventure gaming and a pillar of the industry. I’ve admired Crystal’s work for a while now, as they continue to deliver top notch narrative and spectacle, coupled with deep systems and player choice. I’m very excited about where the studio is headed and I’m eager to be a part of it.”
Rise of the Tomb Raider is also set to get a DLC on 11 October named Blood Ties.