The Tomb Raider franchise is 25! Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are giving us a way to celebrate this milestone anniversary with year-long festivities and reveals.
The original Tomb Raider video game debuted in October 1996. Since then, the game and its sequels have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide. And there’s no doubt that Lara Croft — the main protagonist in these games — is an icon in the gaming industry and beyond. She has gone on more than 30 archeological adventures in video games alone (let’s just skip over the movies, shall we?), and she has received hundreds of awards. Did you know she was named an ambassador for scientific excellence? She’s even appeared on stage during a U2 tour.
For the anniversary celebration, fans can expect community activities, live playthroughs, and plenty of nostalgic media to share. Crystal Dynamics plans to revisit one major Tomb Raider game each month, starting this month with the original 1996 version. As part of the celebration, the brand will also reveal reimagined artwork for each game. This month, Franchise Art Director Brenoch Adams created a modern interpretation of the original Tomb Raider cover (pictured, top).
Keep an eye out for more details and event announcements, which will be coming throughout the year. For the latest info and updates, visit the Tomb Raider Blog’s anniversary page.