TOMB RAIDER CO-CREATOR REVEALS PUBLISHER'S REQUEST TO ALTER LARA CROFT

[ 20 January 2026 ]

Tomb Raider co-creator Paul Douglas has revealed that Victor Interactive Software, a Japanese video game publisher and developer, sought to have Core Design alter the appearance of British adventurer Lara Croft to make her more appealing to a Japanese audience. Writing in a post on Bluesky, Douglas explained that these requests emerged late in the game's development cycle and prompted internal resistance, particularly from Lara Croft's original designer, Toby Gard.

"Victor wanted us to change in-game Lara to appeal more to a Japanese audience. Huge eyes/head etc. They faxed through examples really late in dev. Toby Gard really didn't want to alter Lara. As a compromise all that was changed was the manuals & guide. Not sure who did that render or illustrations," Douglas posted on Bluesky.

In the 1990s, the Japanese video game industry often favoured character designs with exaggerated facial proportions, such as larger eyes and more stylised features, which were considered both culturally familiar and commercially appealing to domestic audiences. Victor's proposal was likely driven by a desire to maximise market appeal, reflecting prevailing assumptions about audience preferences rather than a rejection of Lara Croft's original design.

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