Tomb Raider teaser appears in Fortnite ahead of The Game Awards 2025
A surprise Fortnite teaser has sparked theories about Lara Croft’s next era as the franchise heads into a long-awaited reveal at The Game Awards 2025.
If you’ve been missing Lara Croft, apparently… she’s been missing you too.
That’s the energy gamers picked up this week after a surprise Tomb Raider teaser popped up inside Fortnite, because, of course, major game announcements now appear in Fortnite. The teaser showed up during The Game Awards’ “Vote in Fortnite” event, where players explored creator-made islands before stumbling into a portal featuring a shadowy Lara silhouette, dual pistols raised, surrounded by glowing ancient tech that looked part-Tomb Raider, part–Indiana Jones fever dream.
A few hours later, The Game Awards made it official: a Tomb Raider reveal is coming on December 11, promising “a look at the future of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises.” No details. No hints. Just enough to throw the entire fanbase into analysis mode.
Did you miss her? She missed you. 🔫
— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) December 8, 2025
As just revealed in The Game Awards Vote in Fortnite map portal, tune in to @thegameawards on December 11 for a look at the future of one of gaming's most iconic franchises @tombraider#TombRaider #Fortnite #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/IiN3jPQSkS
Some fans of the game also believe that this big reveal is overdue. Crystal Dynamics confirmed back in 2022 that a new Tomb Raider game was in development. Then… nothing. No updates, no teasers, just several rounds of layoffs at the studio, including the most recent ones a few weeks ago. For a franchise that helped define modern action-adventure games, and one still figuring out its next identity after wrapping the grittier Survivor trilogy, the quiet has been noticeable.
So now fans are dissecting a single silhouette like it’s a Da Vinci painting. Is this the return of classic Lara? Fortnite Lara? A soft reboot? A new trilogy? A retro reinterpretation? Nobody knows, and the mystery is half the excitement.
There’s also what this means for The Game Awards. Every year, the show leans further into becoming a platform for major reveals rather than just a celebration of the industry. Giving Tomb Raider a spotlight reinforces that TGA is essentially the new E3, just with better lighting and fewer convention-center headaches.
Lara Croft returns at #TheGameAwards
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 8, 2025
As just revealed in our The Game Awards Vote in Fortnite map portal, tune in Thursday night for a look at the future of one of gaming's most iconic franchises@tombraider
This is one you won't want to miss. pic.twitter.com/SRlNljpxRs
The takeaway
The upcoming Tomb Raider reveal isn’t just another announcement. It’s a reset moment for a franchise that has spent the past few years rebuilding behind the scenes. Whether Crystal Dynamics goes classic, modern, or somewhere in between, the December 11 announcement should reveal which version of Lara Croft is stepping into the next generation.
Emmanuel Umahi
