Tomb Raider projected to hit 6M sales, become the franchise's best-selling title

Tomb Raider is expected to sell its 6 millionth copy this month, a milestone that will mark the point at which Crystal Dynamics' 2013 franchise reboot will surpass the game's profit expectations.

Square Enix head of studios in North America and Europe Darrell Gallagher made the announcement today on Tomb Raider's official Tumblr.

"By the end of this month we will surpass 6 million units for our Tomb Raider reboot, and, having achieved profitability back in 2013 Tomb Raider has exceeded profit expectations and continues to make significant contributions to our overall financial performance," Gallagher wrote.

The sales projection is the latest milestone for the reboot, which launched March 5, 2013. Later that month, publisher Square Enix said the game sold more than a million copies but had missed its sales target, as did other games like Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs. In late March, the same day that publisher Square Enix CEO and President Yoichi Wada resigned, the company alerted investors of an "extraordinary loss" it expected to incur, due to lower than expected sales of console games in Europe and North America, as well as arcade machines. Throughout the year, as the company continued restructuring efforts, layoffs hit Square Enix's L.A. office, its European headquarters and a non-Tomb Raider team at Crystal Dynamics. In May 2013, Square Enix revealed a 13,714 million yen net loss, at a time when Tomb Raider's sales were pegged at 3.4 million copies. By November, the company increased its financial projections, due in part to Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn.

In December at Spike's VGX, the developer revealed Tomb: Raider Definitive Edition, a visually upgraded version headed to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January 2014. Tomb Raider sales continued throughout 2013, and executive producer Scot Amos revealed in January 2014 that the game had become profitable by the end of the previous year. By February 2014, Square Enix reported strong console game sales in North America.

"At launch we set franchise records for the fastest selling day one and month one in Tomb Raider history," Gallagher wrote. "With the positive word of mouth and continued commercial momentum it's great to see Tomb Raider (2013) on course to become the best-selling game in the history of the franchise! This would be a crowning achievement for the teams around the world, and one that we have our sights firmly set on!"

For more on Tomb Raider, be sure to read and watch Polygon's review, which covers the Definitive Editions. You can also learn from Jonathan Hamel, senior designer at Crystal Dynamics, how the developer used a process called "emotional synchronization" to bring the new Lara Croft and players together.