Netflix Tomb Raider Flops: Why Season 2 Is Final

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Netflix's animated Tomb Raider series has been making noise, just not the kind fans hoped for. Netflix renewed the series two weeks after its October debut, which looked promising at first glance. Then the numbers landed. The show failed to generate even 1.8 million views in its first week and could not crack Netflix's Top 10 list in either opening week. And despite the lukewarm reception, the second season will be the last, which points to a pre-planned two season arc rather than a performance driven decision.

What went wrong with the viewership numbers?

Let's look at the release window, because it tells the story. The series debuted on October 10th and missed Netflix's Top 10 English-language TV list that week. It also did not chart in the second week, October 14 to 20, 2024. For context, the show's 1.8 million views were outpaced by Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance at 2.4 million.

Here is the eyebrow raiser. Netflix's Top 10 has become easier to breach as the library grows and recommendations sharpen. If a marquee gaming franchise cannot make that cut, something is off between the pitch and what viewers expected. Netflix tends to follow the metrics, and numbers like these do not set up a long runway.

Critical response did not cushion the blow. IMDb users rated the show 5.3 out of 10 from more than 4,600 reviews, and Rotten Tomatoes audiences gave it 32 percent on the Popcornmeter. The warning signs were visible before premiere day, the trailer accumulated over 17,000 dislikes, with fans immediately pushing back on changes to the character.

The creative choices that divided fans

The series, created by Powerhouse Animation Studio with Hayley Atwell voicing Lara Croft, tried to modernize the brand for a new crowd. Showrunner Tasha Huo said she wrote the show for “little girls,” aiming for a more emotional, relatable Lara. Admirable goal. Classic adaptation trap. How do you evolve an icon without sanding off what made her an icon?

The original Lara Croft landed as a cool, capable, fiercely independent archetype. Change that DNA too much and you risk losing the core audience that showed up for that very energy, while not fully convincing the new viewers you are courting. Tomb Raider here felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, not quite satisfying veterans or newcomers.

The structure did not help. The series assumes you played the 2013 Tomb Raider game or know its story, which makes casual browsing tougher. Streaming is ruthless. If a show needs homework to land its emotional stakes, many viewers will bounce in the first few minutes.

Season 1 focused heavily on Lara's moral dilemmas, cultural preservation, and archaeological ethics. Good questions, just framed more like a philosophical seminar than a pulpy adventure. The brand promised high-stakes treasure hunting, the show delivered introspection, and that mismatch likely dented engagement.

The streaming economics behind the renewal decision

Bottom line, the second season order reads like a contractual checkbox rather than a fan-driven victory lap. The announcement says it was “confirmed,” not “renewed,” which suggests it was baked into the deal. This mirrors Netflix's approach with bigger IP licenses, their deal with Mattel involved ordering 52 episodes upfront for the She-Ra reboot, a hedge against audience volatility that also locks in output.

That kind of multi season commitment can shield a project from early stumbles, yet it can also strand a platform with content the audience is not embracing. Sometimes shows catch fire late. More often, you get situations like this.

Season 2 will find Lara discovering stolen African Orisha masks and teaming up with her best friend Sam, voiced by Karen Fukuhara. On paper, that brings back fan favorites and leans into classic adventure beats. Given the numbers and the confirmation that this is the final season, it feels like Netflix finishing its obligation and moving on.

The two season finish fits Netflix's portfolio mindset. Even with sunk costs, the service will not keep pouring into titles that do not find an audience, prestige of the IP or not. My hunch, a third season was never on the table once the data rolled in.

What this means for gaming adaptations on streaming platforms

This Tomb Raider run is a tidy case study. The show featured clean animation with vibrant locations and clever action, yet craft alone did not carry it. The series served as a direct sequel to the recent game trilogy, a draw for fans, a barrier for everyone else.

That is the tension with game adaptations. Honor the source, but build a front door that anyone can walk through. Arcane did it by centering relationships and world building that worked without League of Legends lore. The Witcher pulled from broader fantasy traditions, so newcomers could follow along while fans recognized the touchstones.

Netflix's Tomb Raider experiment leaves a clear takeaway. Brand heat and nostalgia are not enough, streaming audiences need immediate engagement and an emotional hook. The platform's willingness to close the book after the initial commitment shows a data first approach to franchise bets, where performance wins out over name recognition.

For tech watchers tracking the streaming wars, this is a reminder that the old rules still bite. Algorithms can boost visibility, iconic logos can open doors, but if the story does not click, viewers will not stick. Expect future gaming adaptations to read this room, then design with both die hards and first timers in mind.