In an interview with Edge Magazine, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak went in-depth on the inception and development of their upcoming James Bond title 007 First Light, and revealed that the game likely would not have been made had the studio not been allowed to create an original interpretation for the character.
IO Interactive, who are most well-known for the Hitman franchise, announced development on a Bond game, then codenamed Project 007, which the studio referred to as a “ wholly original story”. First Light was officially revealed during Sony’s June State Of Play event, prominently featuring a new, young incarnation of the classic spy character, modelled after and voiced by Irish actor Patrick Gibson, star of Showtime’s Dexter: Original Sin.
In the Edge interview, Abrak stated that IO Interactive “would never have done a game adaptation of a movie” as “putting our mark on the story and the creation process is extremely important to us”. Narrative director Martin Emborg corroborated this sentiment, saying the focus was on making “an original story with a character who happens to become James Bond, rather than fulfilling some checklist of callbacks or whatever”.
A GamesRadar+ interview with IO senior licensing producer Theuns Smit reassured gamers that First Light would not just be a Bond-themed reskin of recent Hitman titles, and would feature new mechanics like drivable vehicles. The team have also spoken openly about taking inspiration from the source material, while remaining committed to telling an original story. 007 First Light will be the first Bond-focused game (outside of mobile titles) since Eurocom and Activision’s 007 Legends in 2012.
007 First Light is set to launch on March 27, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, as well as on PC and Nintendo Switch 2. The game is currently available to pre-order, with a “deluxe upgrade” available featuring character outfits and an exclusive weapon skin.
Words by Ash Douglas
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