Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix studio, today announced award-winning games writer Rhianna Pratchett is the lead writer of TOMB RAIDER, the acclaimed origins story of Lara Croft, set for release on March 5, 2013.

English-born Pratchett has been writing for and about videogames for over 14 years. Initially a games journalist, Pratchett quickly moved her passion and skills for creating immersive stories into the narrative of several highly successful videogames. ‘Rhianna has been working on the game with the narrative from its early inception,’ said Darrell Gallagher, head of Crystal Dynamics. ‘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.’

‘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.’

Over the course of her career she has received numerous awards and nominations for her work, including a BAFTA nomination for Story and Character and a Writers’ Guild of Great Britain award for Best Videogame Script.