Lara Croft's Acrobatics Were Key to Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Actress Alix Wilton Regan Took Up Rock-Climbing to Prepare

In a new episode of their mini-docuseries, Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog explained why reviving Lara Croft's iconic acrobatics and movement was so crucial to Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and fans are thrilled. Legacy of Atlantis reimagines Lara's debut adventure, a stark departure from the gritty realism of the reboot trilogy. Amazon Game Studios' fresh take on the original 1996 Tomb Raider brings back Lara's high-flying moves for traversal and combat. As game director Raul Siqueira put it, "This is a moment where a normal person would step to the side. Lara Croft doesn’t step to the side; she cartwheels to the side, because she’s fast, because she’s agile, because she can do all of those things." In the July 21 behind-the-scenes episode, the team emphasized they're bringing back old-school Lara for a new generation, including her badass abilities like handstands and swan dives. "She’s moving confidently, with all these acrobatics, climbing and jumping," said principal technical game designer Grzegorz Grzywacz. "That’s what makes Lara, Lara." Creative director Michal Kuk added, "All of those things were the biggest issue for us. Because a regular jump isn’t a Lara Croft regular jump, right?" Lara's physicality was so integral that actress Alix Wilton Regan trained extensively in various disciplines. "I did a lot — I still do a lot — of weight training, running, yoga, rock-climbing. I freakin’ love rock climbing, that is my jam," she said. Previous docuseries episodes showed Regan in full mocap gear, solving puzzles, exploring treacherous terrain, and facing off against unrevealed enemies. "She is very, very strong. She is very, very capable. …I really wanted to bring that confidence to Lara," Regan added. Fans are ecstatic about the focus on classic moves, which players can practice before exploring new areas. One YouTube comment read, "This is the NUMBER ONE thing for me — I’m so grateful the devs are focusing on Lara’s movement and advertising it as a major factor in defining her." Another said, "Her acrobatics are a part of her character. Literally no one else has or ever done it like her. Thank you for bringing it back to life!" A third praised, "I'm so happy the handstand and swan dive are back. Iconic Lara abilities." Speaking at IGN Live 2026, Regan said she recorded for three weeks at a time, joking, "You get a bit hot and sweaty and extremely intimate with your costars doing ten hours in a mocap suit." IGN previewed the game at Summer Game Fest 2026, with Simon Cardy noting it "makes a 30-year-old adventure feel brand-new." Initially slated for 2026, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis now launches on February 12, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.