Square Enix cedes Tomb Raider publishing duties to Microsoft

In a fairly unsurprising move, a Microsoft representative confirmed on Twitter today that his employer, not Square Enix, will be publishing Crystal Dynamics' upcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider. Back in August, Microsoft announced an exclusivity deal with Crystal Dynamics that would see the game debuting exclusively on Xbox, presumably in an effort to help Microsoft close the significant console sales gap between it and Sony. Today's confirmation that Square Enix has ceded publishing duties suggests that Rise of the Tomb Raider -- a sequel to Crystal Dynamics' 2013 Tomb Raider reboot that managed to sell over 6.5 million copies across multiple platforms -- won't see release on non-Microsoft hardware. Sony is taking similar steps, most recently confirming that it has cut a deal with Capcom to ensure the upcoming Street Fighter V will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4 and PC.