“Rhianna has been working on the game with the narrative from its early inception,” said head of studio Darrell Gallagher. “She has brought a unique perspective to the project and helped us explore the character origins of Lara Croft. There is no doubt that Rhianna has brought a depth and credibility to Lara, a heroine who will really connect with today’s gamers.”

English-born Pratchett began her career in the industry as a games journalist. Eventually she shifted focus to creating narratives for games themselves, including notable work on Overlord, Mirror’s Edge, and Heavenly Sword. Since then, she’s received numerous nominations and awards for her work, including a BAFTA nod for Story and Character, and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Videogame Script.

“I grew up playing Tomb Raider, uncovering the world’s secrets and unearthing its treasures; I have lived and died as Lara Croft, but nothing comes close to the challenge of re-writing her,” said Rhianna Pratchett, lead writer of Tomb Raider. “Seldom do we get the opportunity to reimagine and reinvent a legend, so getting my narrative hands on Miss Croft was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. It was going back to the genesis of videogame action heroines and exploring how to make such an iconic character meaningful and relatable for gamers today.”

Rhianna will make her public debut for Tomb Raider in two SDCC panels. Details below:

Panel Description: Karl Stewart (TOMB RAIDER global brand director), Noah Hughes (creative director), John Stafford (narrative designer) & Camilla Luddington (voice of Lara Croft) discuss the journey of reimagining one of the most iconic franchises in video game history, TOMB RAIDER, through story, performance and a lot of planning! As a world exclusive for the Comic-Con panel the team will also be joined by Rhianna Pratchett, Lead Writer responsible for crafting the story with the team over the last two years.

Panel #1: Nerd HQ: 344 7th Avenue
Saturday, July 14, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Hosted by Zach Levi
Attendee Cap: 225
Note: “Conversations for a Cause” ticket required, and can be purchased at Nerd HQ

Panel #2: San Diego Convention Center, Room 5AB
Saturday, July 14, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Hosted by: Geoff Keighley
Attendee Cap: 500