Core Design

Core Design was founded in 1988 in Derby, England, by a group including Jeremy Heath-Smith, emerging from the earlier Gremlin Graphics scene. Through the late 1980s and early 1990s it built a solid reputation across the Amiga, Atari ST and consoles with a varied catalog - the perilous platformer Rick Dangerous, the prehistoric romp Chuck Rock, the shooter Thunderhawk, and other well-regarded titles that made Core a dependable mid-tier British developer.

The studio's place in history was secured in 1996 with Tomb Raider. Conceived by a small team led by designer Toby Gard, it paired ambitious 3D exploration and acrobatic puzzle-platforming with a charismatic new heroine, the archaeologist adventurer Lara Croft. Released as a showcase for the new generation of 3D hardware, particularly the original PlayStation, Tomb Raider was a massive commercial and cultural success, turning Lara Croft into one of gaming's first breakout icons and a mainstream celebrity.

Under its parent company Eidos, Core was pushed to produce Tomb Raider sequels at a relentless annual pace. The franchise sold enormously but the pressure showed, and the 2003 release Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was troubled and poorly received. In the aftermath, Eidos took the series away from Core and handed future Tomb Raider development to the American studio Crystal Dynamics - a stinging loss for the team that had created it.

Diminished and separated from its signature property, Core Design struggled to define a new future. In 2006 Eidos sold the studio to Rebellion Developments, which renamed it and the Core Design identity was effectively retired. The company that had given the world Lara Croft ended quietly, but its legacy is outsized: Tomb Raider helped define 3D action-adventure gaming and remains one of the most valuable franchises in the medium.