Lara Croft, the iconic tomb raider, is certainly back in the Fortnite item store. HYPEX, the most trusted leakster who is always right, has recently confirmed this with a tweet saying “LARA CROFT RETURNS TOMORROW” that made all the fans crazy. Although we all knew that crossover events would happen sooner or later, the question was who would emerge first and the answer is Lara Croft! She is like a legend.
The comments were… to say the least, chaotic. Many players are delighted. One user, YodaX, realized it fast and shouted, “Lara Croft from Tom Raider is back on Fortnite, good one!” (The ‘Tom Raider’ spelling mistake is another one that made me laugh – people usually do it). Another user, Croftling, was ecstatic, going on and on about how this is “a totally new skin” with a different face model, clothes, and hair which is a big deal for skin collectors.
On the contrary, the OG purists are having an identity crisis. It’s always the case. One user, hhbddaryl, simply said a sad “Nooo not my OG lara…” which is pretty much like saying “Duh”. Another user, Todd Gakk, stated that his “OG skin” had already been gone for 90 days and that “an eternity for the current shops.” It’s the classic Fortnite saga: the new players have the chance to obtain the skin they missed while the older players feel that their exclusivity is threatened. The huge crossover debate is still going on and user GoombaKungFu has already said, “I think OG collabs should return. OG skins, maybe, but collabs are kinda lame to gatekeep.” He makes a good point as it is a character from another game not an original Fortnite one.
Moreover, there is a dilemma about the exact character of Lara Croft that is going to be in the shop. The comment section has turned into a miniature Tomb Raider history lesson. Active users were discussing which version of Lara is going to be the one. One user claimed that the original Battle Pass skin was the 90s version, but user majorblosie was quick to correct that by saying “battle pass lara isn’t 90s version 😭 she’s 2013.” Then MightyCroft came to clear that she actually has skins based on her 2013, 2007, and 1996 designs. Quite a messy situation! So this new shop skin seems to be a new model different from the one that was in the Battle Pass back then which is pretty nice for those who like more choices.
Wait, what was I saying? Oh yes, the disturbance. It was not entirely Lara’s fault. Suddenly and for some unknown reason other character returns started coming along with a huge number of requests for other characters to come back. The name ‘Tyler’ was everywhere. Brayden Harris yelled “WHERE IS TYLER?” “Need Tyler ASAP” pleaded Yoliebe. “When is Tyler dropping?” asked Weezyskidmarks. It’s not clear who this Tyler is but his fans are loud and clear. Besides, some others were asking for Hank Hill, Raiden from Metal Gear and even Spider-Pig. The replies are a wild mix of excitement, irritation and bizarre requests which is essentially the Fortnite community in a nutshell.
This whole episode is a living example of the weird and wonderful universe of Fortnite cosmetics. A skin is nothing but a mere skin; it’s a status symbol, memory, collection part. For some Seeing Lara Croft would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally get a gaming history piece they missed. Others would feel like their veteran status is being undermined. And the rest are just waiting to know when would the Tyler skin finally be released. The item shop is not just any shop; it is everyday dose of drama and desire.
Thus, get ready with your V-Bucks as the island will be crawling with tomb raiders. Whether you are a veteran from the original games or just a new player who thinks she is cool, it will be a great day for expeditions. Just maybe don’t start telling people about the whole “OG” thing in the lobby chat; things might get heated. And Tyler? Well, we shall wait and see. Fortnite’s item shop always has a big surprise and that’s one of the reasons why we check it every day even when we have no V-Bucks left, just like KesaKukov who hasn’t been able to buy the jeep for a year. The struggle is real but the hype is unending. Hatsune Miku Fortnite collab was recently leaked, and PlayStation and Xbox versions of Ghost of Yotei have sold millions despite controversy.
