New James Bond 007 Game First Light – Everything Known So Far

Hitman developer IO Interactive is keeping busy. In addition to a fantasy new IP, the studio is developing First Light, which is the working title for its new James Bond game. Announced in November 2020, First Light tells an origin story for James Bond. We haven't seen any footage yet, but we've still learned a fair amount about the upcoming game. Read on to learn everything we know so far about First Light, including plans for it to potentially kick off a new trilogy. When will First Light be released? There is no word yet on when First Light will be released. It was announced in November 2020, and many took the reveal to be a specific strategy to encourage people to come work at IO on the IP. Announcing games early in development for the purpose of attracting talent is a comment practice in video games. One of the big new hires for First Light is Rodrigo Santoro, a former Ubisoft veteran who joined IO in 2024 to become missions director for the James Bond game. Santoro said he was happy to join IO to work on the James Bond game, saying most companies are making sequels, so he's excited for a new challenge. Preorder First Light Preorders for First Light are not available yet, but whenever that happens, we'll report back with a preorder guide. First Light trailer information So far, the only video for First Light was the announcement sizzle clip that was released when the game was announced in 2020. It showed very little, but does borrow the popular styling and official music for the James Bond series. First Light platforms The only confirmed platform for First Light so far is the Nintendo Switch 2. However, it's assumed the game will also come to PlayStation and Xbox consoles. IO said the game is being developed for "modern systems and platforms." First Light story, setting, and characters The First Light teaser video doesn't show Bond himself, so it's unclear if the character's likeness will be based on any of the actors who have played him over the years. What is confirmed is that First Light tells an origin story for James Bond--the first time ever for any form of James Bond entertainment--and it will be a "wholly original Bond story." Players will "earn their 00 status" in the course of the game's story. However, that's all we know so far about the plot. James Bond movies are known to be globe-trotting affairs, as Bond hunts down villains across the world. The series is also known for its action, and it's expected Project 007 will include some of this. Bond also sometimes needs to be stealthy, and IO's experience with the Hitman series would seemingly help in this department. IO intends for the game to kick off a new trilogy. CEO Hakan Abrak told IGN that First Light won't be based on any of the existing Bond movies. Instead, the developer is being allowed to create its own version of James Bond for the game. "What's exciting about that project is that we actually got to do an original story," Abrak said. "So it's not a gamification of a movie. It's completely beginning and becoming a story, hopefully for a big trilogy out there in the future. And equally important and exciting, it's a new Bond. It's a Bond we built from the ground up for gamers. It's extremely exciting with all the tradition and all the history there is there together to work on this together with the family of creating a young Bond for gamers; a Bond that the gamers can call their own and grow with." First Light game engine First Light is being developed using IO's proprietary Glacier engine. The company is hiring a multiplayer programmer, and a previously spotted job ad called for someone with multiplayer experience to work on First Light. This suggests, but doesn't confirm, that the new James Bond game will have multiplayer. Who's developing First Light? First Light is in "active development" at IO's offices in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden. "Creating an original Bond game is a monumental undertaking and I truly believe that IO Interactive, working closely with our creative partners at EON and MGM, can deliver something extremely special for our players and communities," Abrak said. "Our passionate team is excited to unleash their creativity into the iconic James Bond universe and craft the most ambitious game in the history of our studio." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQr3EU4EJpw Former MGM boss Robert Marick, meanwhile, said, "We plan to bring a new take on this legendary franchise to gamers and Bond fans around the world. IO Interactive are masters of crafting living, breathing worlds of immersive storytelling." Marick left MGM after the game was announced. A James Bond shakeup A major unanswered question about First Light is whether or not anything about the project changed due to James Bond stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson getting bought out of their ownership, with Amazon MGM Studios taking over all creative decisions. Broccoli and Wilson had managed the James Bond franchise for almost 60 years, following it being passed down from their father, Cubby Broccoli. The pair have been the driving force behind the entire Bond franchise during that period, including selecting the actors who would play the iconic spy. Their work has extended beyond just the movies, as Broccoli at least has been involved in decision-making for the games; it recently came to light that Broccoli raised a number of concerns about the GoldenEye game for Wii. What impact the new leadership at Amazon MGM Studios could have on IO's game is unknown, but GameSpot has contacted the studio in an attempt to get more details. We've also reached out to Amazon MGM Studios. History of James Bond games A number of companies have made James Bond video games over the years. One of the most memorable and iconic James Bond games was Rare's 1997 GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo 64. Electronic Arts made James Bond games, too, including Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, and Rogue Agent. Activison took over for a period of time, publishing titles like Quantum of Solace and Blood Stone. There hasn't been a new James Bond game for console since 2012's 007 Legends, though Cypher 007 came out for mobile in 2023. The next James Bond movie The 26th Bond movie is now in the works, with Harry Potter's David Heyman and Spider-Man's Amy Pascal signed on as producers. Amazon MGM Studios will produce the film, but there is no word yet on any of the key details about it, including the biggest question of all: who will play James Bond? Aaron Taylor-Johnson was said to be the front-runner at some point. Also unknown is who may direct the new Bond movie or when it could release. A Wall Street Journal report from December 2024 said Broccoli and Wilson were sparring with Amazon executives over the future of the series, causing important developments on the project to be delayed. Now that Broccoli and Wilson are out, some are theorizing that Amazon might try to get the ball rolling quickly for Bond 26.

Recent Posts