Summary
While crossovers are nothing new for the entertainment industry, they’ve become much more prevalent in the last few years, especially in the gaming landscape. Though games likeKingdomHeartsandSuper Smash Bros.have been bringing together iconic franchise characters for years now, it wasFortnitethat really opened the floodgates, bringingStar Wars, Marvel, DC, and countless other IPs together under one roof, and making a ridiculous profit from them. And where there’s money to be made,Call of Duty: Warzoneisn’t too far behind.
Over the last few years,Call of Duty: Warzonehas slowly been increasing its number of collaborations. Often available as cosmetic skins,Warzone’s crossovers have covered a vast range of pop-culture, from action heroes likeDie Hard’s John McClane to horror icons like Jigsaw to even celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj. And now,Call of Duty: Warzoneis about to experiment with fellow video game franchise crossovers, withTomb Raider’s Lara Croft coming toWarzoneon September 9, featuring a design that sets an incredibly high bar for the nextTomb Raidertitle.
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Call of Duty: Warzone’s Lara Croft Sets a High Bar
Put simply,Call of Duty: Warzone’s Lara Croft designis practically perfect, and exactly what fans have been asking for for a while now. While Crystal Dynamics' iteration of Lara - dubbed the “Survivor” version - fit the gritty and grounded tone of the 2013Tomb Raiderreboot and its two sequels, it lacked the same iconicity that the original Lara Croft design had. Gone were her blue tank top and tan cargo shorts, replaced with a simple gray vest and green trouser combo. This version of the character also lacked her iconic dual pistols, at least for the vast majority of the series.
Back in 2021, Crystal Dynamics announced thata newTomb Raidergamewas in the works, and that Lara Croft’s design would “unify” all iterations of the character so far.Call of Duty: Warzone’s Lara Croft skin does exactly that. WhileWarzone’s Lara Croft has a similar face to Crystal Dynamics' version of the adventurer, as well as the green pendant from that series, her outfit is an unashamed throwback to her beloved original look.
Call of Duty: Warzone’s Lara Croft has her immediately recognizable blue top, along with her tan cargo shorts. A brown backpack is visible on her back, and she’s even got her absurdly long ponytail.Warzone’s Lara Croft Operator bundleis also coming with unique blueprints for the new 9mm Daemon sidearm, giving the adventurer her classic dual pistols. From a visual standpoint alone, this is a perfect modernization of Lara Croft, but it doesn’t end there.
Much like any otherCall of Duty: WarzoneOperator bundle, Lara Croft also comes with a bevy of unique voice lines. Keeley Hawes - who had previously voiced Lara inTomb Raider: Anniversary,Underworld,Legend, and more - makes her triumphant return here, bringing back the sassy British charm that’s been missing from the character for so long. In all aspects, this version of Lara Croft seems to be one of the best iterations of the character ever put to screen. It’s currently unclear whether this design is all Activision’s doing, or whether Crystal Dynamics played a role in its creation, but regardless it sets a very high bar for the nextTomb Raidergame. Fans will now be expecting not only a Lara Croft that looks like her original iconic design, but one that sounds and acts like her as well.
Call of Duty: Warzoneis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
