New Game+

Start a New Game+ in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Learn what carries over from your previous playthrough, perfect for completionists and trophy hunters.

Embarking on a New Game+ in Shadow of the Tomb Raider offers a fresh perspective on Lara Croft's most perilous adventure. This mode allows you to replay the entire campaign while retaining most of your hard-earned progress, making it an ideal choice for completionists, trophy hunters, or those simply looking to experience the story again with an edge. Before diving in, understand what carries over and how to best utilize your existing arsenal.

Initiating New Game+

Once you've completed the main story campaign on any difficulty, New Game+ becomes available from the main menu. Simply select "New Game+" and choose your desired difficulty. All previously unlocked skills, equipment, and cosmetic outfits will be accessible from the very beginning of the game, starting with the "A Faint Light" prologue in Cozumel.

What Carries Over

• Skills: All acquired skills from the Seeker, Warrior, and Scavenger skill trees are retained. This means you'll have access to powerful abilities like "Serpent's Fury" (multiple stealth takedowns) or "Owl's Wisdom" (increased resource gathering) from the start, significantly altering early-game combat and exploration.
• Weapons & Upgrades: All weapons (pistols, rifles, shotguns, bows) and their associated upgrades are carried over. This includes unique weapons like the "Pistol: Rattlesnake" or the "Bow: Puka Huk." You'll be able to craft special ammunition types, such as "Poison Arrows" or "Incendiary Shells," much earlier.
• Outfits: All cosmetic outfits unlocked during your first playthrough, including those from DLCs, will be available. While purely aesthetic, this allows you to customize Lara's appearance from the outset.
• Gear & Equipment: Essential gear like the "Grapple Axe," "Reinforced Knife," and "Lockpick" are retained. This is particularly beneficial as it allows you to access previously locked areas and treasure chests much sooner in the game, especially in hub areas like Paititi.
• Resources & Crafting Materials: A significant portion of your collected resources (e.g., wood, hides, salvage, herbs) will carry over. This allows for immediate crafting of upgrades and special ammunition without the initial grind.
• Challenge Tombs & Crypts Progress: While the tombs and crypts themselves reset, your knowledge of their puzzles and locations remains. Any unique items or skills gained from completing them will also be retained.

What Does NOT Carry Over

• Story Progress: The main campaign story and all side missions reset. You will need to play through them again.
• Collectibles: All collectibles (Relics, Documents, Murals, Survival Caches, Explorer Satchels, Archivist Maps) reset. This provides an opportunity to find any you missed or simply re-experience their lore.
• Experience Points (XP): While your skills carry over, your current XP count resets to zero. You'll gain XP as you progress through the new playthrough.
• Currency (Gold): Your gold count resets. You'll need to earn it again by completing side missions and selling artifacts to merchants.

New Game+ Strategies & Tips

Early Game Dominance

With a fully upgraded arsenal, the early sections of the game, such as the "In the Shadows" and "Hunter's Moon" segments in Cozumel, become significantly easier. Utilize your advanced bows for stealth takedowns and your powerful firearms for direct confrontations. Don't be afraid to experiment with different weapon combinations.

Resource Management

While resources carry over, they are not infinite. Prioritize crafting essential items like "Health Poultices" and "Perception Herbs" for challenging encounters. Since you have access to all weapon upgrades, focus on crafting special ammunition types early on to make combat encounters trivial.

Exploring Hub Areas

The ability to use the "Grapple Axe" and "Lockpick" from the beginning means you can immediately access many areas in Kuwaq Yaku and Paititi that were previously locked. This allows for efficient collection of resources, completion of side quests, and discovery of hidden Challenge Tombs without needing to progress far into the main story to unlock these tools.

Difficulty Adjustments

Consider increasing the difficulty for your New Game+ playthrough. With all your skills and upgrades, even "Deadly Obsession" can be more manageable, offering a greater challenge and a more rewarding experience. Remember that on higher difficulties, resource availability decreases, and enemies are more resilient and perceptive.

Focus on Completion

New Game+ is perfect for achieving 100% completion. Use your retained skills and gear to efficiently track down any missed collectibles, complete all Challenge Tombs, and finish all side missions. The "Explorer Satchels" and "Archivist Maps" that you find will reveal the locations of nearby collectibles, making the process much smoother.

• Challenge Tombs: Revisit tombs like the "Judge's Gaze" or "Path of Battle" with your full suite of abilities to streamline puzzle-solving and combat encounters.
• Side Missions: Tackle side missions immediately upon reaching hub areas. Your advanced gear will make these tasks, such as retrieving artifacts or eliminating threats, much quicker.