Rise of the Tomb Raider features some kind of multiplayer

We've previously reported that Rise of the Tomb Raider would not include a multiplayer mode. Its predecessor Tomb Raider had one, same as other genre flagships such as Uncharted 3 or The Last of Us. Turns out this report was not completely accurate.

The issue popped up the other day at Microsoft offices in Madrid, when we were chatting with Meagan Marie about Lara's new mechanics and abilities. Biting her tongue, here's how the Crystal Dynamics rep answered Gamereactor:

GR: The combat and skills systems have evolved, but you've ditched the multiplayer part of the game to focus on the single player element. Wouldn't those advanced combat features have worked nicely in a multiplayer mode?

MM: We actually haven't confirmed whether we have a multiplayer yet. We hopefully will be doing that soon, within the next week or so. There is something in place that will allow you to compete with your friends, but we just haven't revealed exactly what yet.

Remains to be seen what this "something" is, but between the lines it sounds like maybe there's some sort of asynchronous challenges or perhaps some sort of co-operative horde mode.

If you want to learn all about Rise of the Tomb Raider, don't miss our recent hands-on preview (with some exclusive gameplay) and, of course, our complete interview with Meagan Marie.