Lara Croft: The Iconic Video Game Character

Lara Croft, the star of the Tomb Raider video game series, has been named the most iconic video game character of all time in a new poll from Bafta. The poll, which surveyed over 4,000 gamers from around the world, was carried out to mark the 20th Bafta Game Awards, which take place later this month.

Croft topped the poll ahead of Mario, of the eponymous Nintendo franchise, and assassin Agent 47 from the Hitman series. Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Link - the silent protagonist from the Legend of Zelda games - and Halo star Master Chief all made the top 10.

Lara Croft in action

Lara Croft first appeared in 1996 as the heroine of the Tomb Raider games, and has since been remastered and reimagined multiple times for television, film, and more video games - as well as having her own live immersive experience in London. She has been portrayed on the big screen by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.

“I had no clue when voicing the original Tomb Raider game that it would be such a global phenomenon,” said Shelley Blond, the first voice actor for Lara Croft. “When creating the voice for Lara Croft, it came just by looking at the rough sketches I had in front of me and I took note of the fact that she was a female Indiana Jones type of character, ballsy and well spoken.”

Shelley Blond, the first voice actor for Lara Croft

The irony of a referee with a checkered past overseeing a high-stakes match is not lost on anyone. Felix Zwayer, the referee appointed to oversee the England-Netherlands Euro 2024 semifinal, was once linked to a match-fixing scandal in Germany.

Felix Zwayer, the referee appointed to oversee the England-Netherlands Euro 2024 semifinal

The appointment has raised eyebrows, but Zwayer has denied any wrongdoing and has been cleared of any involvement in match-fixing. Despite this, the shadow of controversy still looms large over the referee.

The England-Netherlands Euro 2024 semifinal promises to be a thrilling match

In other news, Justin Hartley is set to star in and executive produce a drama series adaptation of Jeffery Deaver’s novel, The Never Game. The project, which received a pilot production commitment in September 2021, comes from director Ken Olin and 20th Television.

Justin Hartley, set to star in and executive produce The Never Game

The Never Game features Hartley as lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw, who roams the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement to solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.

Colter Shaw, the protagonist of The Never Game