GameStop Sparks Backlash for Tomb Raider Criticism

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GameStop is getting criticism online after questioning whether Sophie Turner was a good choice to play Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider TV series. Many social media users responded by mocking GameStop for even commenting on the casting decision.

After a challenging two-year development process, Amazon officially announced its live-action Tomb Raider TV series in September 2025, starring Sophie Turner, known for her role in Game of Thrones. In January 2026, Amazon MGM Studios released the first images of Turner as Lara Croft, showing the 29-year-old actress wearing the character’s famous teal top.

GameStop Proclaims Sophie Turner Is Not Lara Croft In Bizarre Tweet

On January 15th, GameStop’s official Twitter account shared, then immediately criticized, the first image of Sophie Turner as Lara Croft, stating, “this is not Lara Croft.” The post quickly drew criticism from social media users, many of whom wondered why GameStop had commented in the first place. One popular tweet from a user named Infinitethird simply said, “Silence, brand,” a sentiment shared by hundreds of others.

Okay, so GameStop tweeted about the new Tomb Raider show, and honestly, a lot of gamers just roasted them for it. One user, CodyLeachYT, posted pictures of their stores filled with, like, cups and backpacks and Funko Pops – basically anything but games – and said, “this is not a gaming store.” It blew up, getting over 144,000 likes and 6,200 retweets in just a day! That’s way more engagement than GameStop’s original tweet got, which only had around 30,000 likes and 3,200 retweets in almost two days. Everyone was basically telling GameStop to worry about staying in business and selling games instead of commenting on TV shows.

GameStop is known for using humor on social media, so their comment about not being Lara Croft was likely a joke and not a serious critique of the actress or the new TV show. However, GameStop didn’t offer any further explanation about the tweet, which led many people online to believe they were intentionally trying to provoke a reaction.

Tomb Raider TV Show Is Now Filming

Filming for the live-action Tomb Raider series started on Thursday, January 15th. Production is taking place in London and at Shepperton Studios, just outside the city. If things go as usual for shows like this, the first season is expected to be released around 2027. As of now, only one season has been confirmed, and it will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.

Image via Crystal Dynamics

Besides Taylor Turner, the upcoming live-action Tomb Raider series has announced several other cast members. Sigourney Weaver will play Evelyn Wallis, and Martin Bobb-Semple will be Zip. Jason Isaacs is set to play Lara’s uncle, Atlas de Mornay, and Bill Paterson, a well-known Scottish actor, will portray her butler, Winston. Amazon MGM Studios also revealed that John Heffernan (known for Dickensian and Becoming Elizabeth) will join the cast as David, a cynical government worker who becomes involved in Lara’s newest quest.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for her role in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is the creative force behind the new Tomb Raider series. She’s not only the showrunner but also an executive producer. The acclaimed actress, writer, and director has already won three Primetime Emmys and two Golden Globes, and many other awards. Recently, a representative from Turner praised Waller-Bridge, stating that having her lead the project ensures it’s in excellent hands.

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2026-01-18 16:37