Developer Crystal Dynamics’ hot adventure game for the PC and consoles, Tomb Raider, will finally be brought to Linux this spring by Feral Interactive. This will the first game in the popular series to be released for Linux, Feral Interactive said on Tuesday, and will be compatible with Valve Software’s Steam Machine operating system, SteamOS, and Canonical’s Ubuntu platform.
Tomb Raider was originally launched in 2013 by publisher Square Enix, and serves as a reboot of the series that focuses on an inexperienced young Lara Croft. It’s an origin story that finds our favorite heroine shipwrecked on the lost island of Yamatai. She embarks on her adventure armed with nothing but her sharp instincts, tasked to save her friends and to escape the island unscathed. The island’s dark secrets keep Lara on her toes as she’s pursued by a savage cult.
Tomb Raider was originally published for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in March 2013, followed by a version for Apple’s OS X platform in January 2014. The game includes not only a single-player campaign, but an online multiplayer mode consisting of Team Deathmatch, Cry for Help, and Private Rescue modes. Tomb Raider for PC currently has a Metacritic score of 86.
Unfortunately, Feral Interactive has not stated the system requirements for the upcoming Linux release. However, the version that’s now available for the Mac requires an Intel processor clocked at 2.0 GHz, 4GB of RAM, a GPU with 512MB or VRAM, and OS X 10.9.1 at the very least. The recommended specs include an Intel CPU clocked at 2.4 GHz, 6GB of RAM, a GPU with 1GB of VRAM, and OS X 10.9.1 or higher.
News of Tomb Raider heading to Linux follows a recent announcement that Payday 2 has launched with SteamOS support. That game will be free to download for those who already own the Windows version via Steam. Valve is also serving up Payday 2 as a free-to-play title for all Steam customers until March 31. The SteamOS version supports Steam Cloud, allowing gamers to sync their save files between different operating systems.
Valve’s SteamOS platform is based on Debian 8, and comes pre-installed on Steam Machines. The operating system supports 64-bit versions of Intel and AMD processors, 4GB of memory or more, a hard drive with at least 250GB of storage, and GPUs supplied by Intel, Nvidia, and AMD (Radeon 8500 and later). System builders not wanting to purchase a pre-assembled Steam Machine system can download a copy of SteamOS for free by heading here.
Feral Interactive was founded in 1996 and is based out of London, England. The company focuses on publishing games for the Mac and Linux including Lego Marvel’s Avengers, XCOM 2, Company of Heroes 2 — The Western Front Armies, and loads more. Although a specific date has not been announced for the Tomb Raider port, Feral Interactive will launch the game on its Feral Store, Steam, and other third-party stores for $20.