Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Trailer Details Focus Meter, Dual Pistols and Skill Tree

Elena Sokolova18/08/2026Updated 25/08/20264 min read

Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics have released the sixth instalment of their behind-the-scenes documentary series for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, this time turning the spotlight on combat, weapons and a new “Focus” resource that lets Lara Croft slow down time mid-fight. The episode, produced with co-developer Flying Wild Hog, breaks down how the team reworked action for a modern audience while trying to keep the acrobatic spirit of the 1996 original intact.

The episode focuses on how the Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog teams evolved combat and progression for modern audiences, deep-diving into the Focus system and the various weapons Lara will wield throughout her adventure, including her iconic dual pistols. It’s the latest in a run of pre-launch documentaries the studios have been drip-feeding since earlier this year, following instalments on puzzles and environment design.

The Focus Meter Powers Lara’s Bullet-Time Flourishes

The centrepiece of the new footage is Focus, a resource that game director Raul Siqueira describes as one of the project’s defining additions. “One of our main gameplay changes to Legacy of Atlantis we’re introducing is a system called Focus,” Siqueira states.

“When you’re doing actions in combat, taking damage, dealing damage, dodging attacks, you’re building your Focus meter,” Siqueira explains. “Focus allows you to slow down time around you and showcase some of the things that Lara used to do in 1996.” Once the meter is charged, players can trigger a cinematic slow-motion window to chain acrobatic attacks against enemies, echoing moves from the character’s PS1-era debut.

MonsterVine, which also reviewed the footage, notes that players build the Focus meter by taking damage, dealing damage, dodging attacks and staying active in fights, and once charged it lets Lara slow down time and pull off moves tied to her acrobatic roots. Siqueira has previously framed the system as a deliberate tribute to the character’s roots, adding in the same clip that “the acrobatic component is really important for the character, so we wanted to make sure there was a way on the sticks for that to be celebrated.”

Dual Pistols Anchor a Growing Weapon Roster

Beyond Focus, the documentary walks through the arsenal Lara will unlock across her globe-trotting hunt for the Scion. The team deep-dives into the various weapons Lara will wield throughout her adventure, highlighting the distinct playstyles each weapon offers against enemies and how each one is designed to counter different threats. Official platform listings on Steam and PlayStation’s storefront echo that framing, describing Lara as armed with her signature dual pistols and a set of other unlockable weapons for use against wildlife, mercenaries and mythological creatures.

Siqueira has been vocal in other interviews about the pressure of getting the sidearms right. “As a hardcore Tomb Raider fan, I wanted dual pistols,” Siqueira has said. “So coming back to this game, I think one of the biggest things that we wanted to make sure we got right is, the pistols have to feel right. All weapons need to feel right. Combat needs to feel right. But if the pistols don’t feel right, we are missing a big part of what makes Lara Lara.” That emphasis on the classic sidearms: while still layering in a wider toolkit of unlockable weapons, is exactly the “good dilemma” the new trailer is selling to returning fans.

Crafting and Skill Tree Progression Get Their First Tease

The mini-doc also marks the first official glimpse at how Lara will grow stronger over the course of the campaign. The game’s skill tree progression and crafting are teased for the first time in this episode. MonsterVine adds that while Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics haven’t shared every detail yet, the footage points to more player choice in how Lara develops across the campaign.

Combined with previously confirmed mechanics: separate difficulty sliders for puzzles and combat, and a grapple tool for both traversal and environmental manipulation: the progression systems suggest Crystal Dynamics is building out a fuller RPG-lite loop around what was, in 1996, a comparatively linear platforming adventure.

February 12 Launch Worldwide, February 13 for Australia and New Zealand

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is confirmed to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch 2. PlayStation’s own blog confirms the game comes to PlayStation 5 on February 12, 2027. Crucially for local players, the same PlayStation Blog post notes that the release date in Japan, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is February 13, a day later than the rest of the world due to time-zone scheduling around the global launch window.

The game is built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 and reimagines Lara’s hunt across Peru, Greece, Egypt and a fictional Mediterranean island tied to the Atlantis myth, expanding on the story first told in the 1996 original and its 2007 remake, Tomb Raider: Anniversary. It sits alongside the newly announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst as one of two Lara Croft projects currently in development at Crystal Dynamics.