Is this a joke? Because Laura Croft (or at least the non-modern Laura Croft character that TFP have paid homage to) has been
the very definition of sexism in gaming for twenty years. The innate sexism of the character is almost certainly why the modern Tomb Raider games avoided the old character.
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/17/17128344/lara-croft-tomb-raider-history-controversy-breasts
https://pitjournal.unc.edu/2023/01/06/lara-croft-and-gaming-feminism-in-a-hyper-masculine-industry/
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180314-why-lara-croft-is-no-feminist-role-model
EDIT: It is true that Laura Croft has also been seen as "empowering" because she is the player's avatar in a videogame, and that videogame is action-oriented, and she is female. But those reasons (or excuses?) for her being seen as "empowering" fall by the wayside if that character is only one among many that can be chosen, and the others are
not big-busted, midriff-showing females - in this case the avatar's only defining characteristics
are that it's a big busted, midriff-showing female.
Look, TFP can replicate that character if they want, but what they
can't do is replicate that character
and also avoid all of the cultural baggage and debate about sexism that surrounds that character.
TFP made that bed and now they have to lie in it.
(Also, this is coming from someone who likes the outfit, and also likes both midriffs and breasts, regardless of whether they're bare and/or big.)
EDIT 2: You know what would have avoided this whole problem? If the clothing on the desert female was the same as the desert male. The female could have the same body type, same bust size, everything, but just not have been dressed in short shorts and a shirt that covered nothing but her breasts. This actually seems to be
easier then the clothing option on her now.
Why are we all not focusing on why TFP deliberately chose to do more work to make the clothing different on the female?