Hardcore fans argued that Morag’s version of Lara was “out of character”—that the seasoned survivor would never accidentally attack a harmless hermit. Others praised it, claiming that Shadow of the Tomb Raider already portrayed Lara as arrogant and trigger-happy, and this short film was a logical, tragic extension of that flaw.

So where does “Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021” stand today? It is neither a game, nor a canonical story, nor a simple joke. It has become a legendary fan artifact —a proof of concept for how a single, dedicated artist can hijack the discourse around a billion-dollar franchise.

Then, there is the sub-genre of "Meme Mods" or "Cursed Levels."