The official account of Tomb Raider shared a joyful ‘Happy Croftmas’ message and is making queries on the players’ celebration during the holidays. Surprisingly, the interaction of the community, after playing games during quarantine, led to requests for the franchise’s future. What initially was just a tweet during the holidays turned into a very minor focus group consisting of the Tomb Raider community who, at that time, were, and probably still are, thinking…
First off, the ‘how are you spending holidays?’ query led to the playing Tomb Raider response which was undoubtedly the most favored. Obviously, it was quite apparent. The gamers’ replying crowd had their gaming plans. Korramia simply put the case: “playing tomb raider OBVIOUSLY.” The same sentiment was iterated with different usernames. MightyCroft begins with the 2013 reboot tonight, X01488 is going through all the games, and arsalansyed11 is replaying Rise of the Tomb Raider. It is nothing else but a full series marathon taking place out there. Even Popsii360 mentioned going through Tomb Raider 3 to get a “zillion PlayStation Trophies.” The vibe is very cozy with DudeKyleRaider posting a Christmas picture of Lara by the fireplace with the caption “by staying cozy inside.” It is really the dream holiday for gamers.
Nonetheless, the discussion was not only about replaying the old classics. The situation was such that a good chunk of the conversation immediately diverted to the future of Tomb Raider, more specifically, the new projects. Players are ecstatic and they are not silent about it. Expected Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (or TRLOA as it is referred to by some) pops up in several replies. User j3y2f remarked that they are “Spending holidays waiting for TRLOA,” while Athos_TRALE just wrote “Yearning for Legacy of Atlantis.” The excitement is very much present, and antroboh1 is admitting that they are “Watching the trailer of the new tomb raider games over and over again, picturing how beautiful they will be.” Ilydudelovesyou and AndRay_BF also confessed to the same thing, just looping those trailers. It is that pre-release frenzy where the hype has become its own kind of game.
One more important point was a subject that emerged which was somewhat intriguing. Quite a few comments turned the festive greeting into a chance for localization requests. It wasn’t just one person making such a request; it seemed like a very well-organized ask. Users like m__3727 and rudyisdone openly demanded Arabic language support in the next titles. EPH_00 asked for a Spanish (Spain) dubbing. The user DUTCH7474 penned a very thoughtful and well-articulated paragraph making a formal and impassioned case for the inclusion of Arabic as an official language, saying it would make the experience “far more enjoyable and accessible” for Middle Eastern gamers. It indicates that gaming is a universal phenomenon and for ardent gamers it is very vital to narrate a story in their mother tongue. They are not just advocating for a game; they are asking to be noticed.
However, the gamers’ community spirit was shining through brightly. JRPGsAreMyWorld mentioned spending time “With the Tomb Raider Community Advent Calendar,” and mylesjude2 suggested having art exchanges to invoke happy feelings for the new era. It is an interesting combination of the individual’s nostalgia, both personal and shared, and excitement about what comes next.
Then, what can be inferred from all this? A holiday tweet from a video game’s official account is usually just meaningless fluff, isn’t it? However, this one mistakenly turned out to be a snapshot. It shows a player community that is very united and enthusiastic about the past of the franchise and is also waiting for its future with childish and at the same time subtle demand for including languages as a right. They are playing the old games while burning the new trailers, frame by frame, and at the same time, ever so politely but clearly asking the developers not to overlook them or their language. They are a community that knows what they want: more Lara, in every sense.
It seems that the ‘Croftmas’ spirit is not just about snow and greetings. It is actually about gamers sharing their love for the adventurer, thus fantasizing about her next adventure, and wanting to be able to hear and understand every single word. If you ask me, that does sound like a really nice holiday celebration. Speaking of which, I guess it will be time for me to train and immerse myself into Shadow of the Tomb Raider once again. Who knows, I might come across a holiday hat mod or something along those lines.
