Modern Warfare 2's Lara Croft crossover has me yearning for an original Tomb Raider remake

Lara Croft in Modern Warfare 2.
(Image credit: Activision)

I never thought Call of Duty of all games would have me desperate for a modern-day rendition of classic Tomb Raider, but the shooter's latest crossover has done just that. Lara Croft is the next operator to arrive in Modern Warfare 2 as part of Season 5 Reloaded.

She's one of three playable operators available to purchase this season, alongside rapper 21 Savage and classic Call of Duty character Mace. She'll be landing on September 9, just over a week after Season 5 Reloaded launches. The Tracer Pack: Tomb Raider bundle includes Lara Croft herself, along with her classic Mach-5 dual pistols, an ice axe melee weapon and the "Mythic Defender" SMG. The bundle also includes a "Tomb Buggy" vehicle skin, a loading screen, sticker and an emblem. All Tomb Raider themed, presumably. Be a bit strange if they weren't.

A tweet from @CallofDuty, showing a screenshot of Lara Croft with the caption "Time for the ultimate expert in the field and legendary adventurer Lara Croft 🔎💥 @tombraider"

(Image credit: @CallofDuty via Twitter)

The one thing that surprised me is just how good Lara Croft looks in this game. The Call of Duty Twitter account was kind enough to share a screenshot, giving a peek of how she looks in-game. She's rocking the dual pistols, along with her classic outfit and braided hairdo. I'm an avid defender of survivor Lara Croft's design, but I have to admit Activison has absolutely nailed her classic look while keeping it similarly grounded. She looks absolutely fantastic, and I can't help but yearn for a remake of the original game with this model as a result. 

In fact, some fans are convinced that this design might be related to the next Tomb Raider game that's currently in development. At the very least, some believe that it's heading towards the whole "unifying the timelines" thing that Netflix were gunning for back in 2021. Despite sporting a very classic look, Lara's also wearing her signature green necklace from her survivor era, and her hair seems to be a mish-mash of her classic and modern design. I think it's too rash to say if Modern Warfare 2 Lara will have any relation to what Crystal Dynamics has in store, but I certainly wouldn't be mad if this is the Lara we have for the foreseeable future. 

Mollie Taylor
Features Producer

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.