Tomb Raider Fans Start Petition In Response To Lara Croft Redesign

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis appeared at June’s PlayStation State of Play with an official release date announcement, pushing it slightly beyond its originally slated 2026 window and into February 2027. There’s still no telling whether this delay will affect Tomb Raider: Catalyst’s 2027 release window, though it logically would, unless Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Game Studios are keen to have two gargantuan Tomb Raider launches in the same year.

Nonetheless, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis had a considerable chunk of gameplay for fans at Summer Game Fest 2026, where A-list acting talent like Troy Baker, Ben Starr, and Tomb Raider’s own Alix Wilton Regan got hands-on experience with the latest Tomb Raider remake. Gameplay has since been shared from the event, and there is one wholehearted, resounding critique that almost all fans have in response to it, compared to when Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis was revealed.

Horrified fans were quick to notice that the footage shared lately of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ gameplay features a ponytail braid for Lara Croft that is much shorter and less spectacular than the one she was initially seen brandishing in the remake’s first reveal trailer. And, demonstrating how severely and sincerely paramount Lara’s unexpected haircut is to the Tomb Raider community, user Lito Perezito has started a petition on Twitter/X in hopes of rectifying this egregiousness.

It may seem like a small alteration that many general audiences might not have even acknowledged, but many fans believe it ruins what would otherwise be a phenomenal aesthetic trait that enhances her character model. Users like Araphiel are in full support of the movement, writing that they “definitely subscribe to this petition” and reiterating the petition’s hashtag: "#BringBackTheLongBraid."

However, there may be no need to fret after all. The promotional material for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ Collector’s edition interestingly depicts two versions of Lara: one with the long braid that fans previously saw and adored, and one with the short braid that fans saw recently. Lara’s short braid is seen on the Collector’s edition’s ‘Lara Croft vs the T-Rex’ statue, for example, but her long braid is seen in the full game and premium steel case box art.

So, unless the wrong key art assets were used, it seems fair to presume that Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ skin customization (including the Survivor prequel trilogy outfit as a pre-order bonus and the Digital Deluxe edition’s bonus Parisian Fugitive outfit) will extend to Lara’s hair, too. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is scheduled to be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 12, 2027.

Systems

Released February 12, 2027

ESRB Teen / Blood, Violence

Developer(s) Crystal Dynamics, Flying Wild Hog

Number of Players Single-player