007 First Light Release: All you need to know about the new Bond game

⚠️ This page mixes confirmed information with industry rumors and speculation. We’ll keep it updated as new details and leaks come to light.

007 First Light is an anxiously awaited title for both Bond fans and action-adventure lovers alike. Instead of following a storyline from one of the movies, IO Interactive has reimagined Bond’s origin story, introducing us to the rebellious agent before he ever became a spy.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the 007 First Light release, including the full release day details, key names to bear in mind, and what fans will be able to expect from the game once it’s out.

The Escapist recaps

• 007 First Light, the new Bond game, is currently being developed by IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman franchise.
• The game is shaping up to be a third-person action-adventure, featuring a blend of cinematics, dynamic combat scenes, stealthy action, and story-driven depth.
• This is the first new James Bond game in over a decade, and IO Interactive is diving right in with its own, previously unseen storyline.
• Players will meet familiar faces from the Bond universe, but also brand-new characters, such as a mysterious figure designated as 009.
• Similar to the recent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the game appears to be set in various locations around the globe.
• As confirmed at The Game Awards 2025, Lenny Kravitz will be making an appearance as a villain in-game.

When will 007 First Light be released? 

Fans looking to get their hands on the new Bond game will be able to pick it up on May 27, 2026, with digital pre-orders providing 24 hours of early access.

That’s following a delay of two months from its original March 27 release date.

007 First Light prices & pre-orders 

The standard iteration of 007 First Light costs $69.99, while the specialist edition will be the same price and available through Amazon. Special collector’s editions cost a whopping $299.99, but this does include a variety of physical collectibles, like a golden gun statue.

Pre-orders are currently available for First Light, with Steam and the PlayStation Store both having active listings for the game.

007 First Light platforms 

Although 007 First Light was announced at Sony’s State of Play, the game is, fortunately, not a PS5 exclusive.

The new James Bond game will be available on the PlayStation 5, but also on the Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam. However, PS5 Pro gamers will be able to enjoy PSSR and 60 fps in Quality Mode.

007 First Light trailer & gameplay analysis

By the looks of it, we’re in for a treat. IO Interactive shared a three-minute trailer of 007 First Light, and the game appears to be fast-paced, action-packed, and rather story-driven.

The 007 First Light trailer starts by making us privy to a conversation involving M and Greenway, a new mentor figure for Bond. Bond appears to have made an impression during a mission in Iceland, but his recklessness and rebellious spirit have done him no favors with Greenway. M, however, is impressed. 

“Always at the top of his class,” says M of young Bond. “Always at odds with authority,” counters Greenway. Bond fears nothing and relies on luck to keep him alive, and that makes him a “bullet without a target” in the eyes of his mentors. That’s not a bad thing—that’s exactly what MI6 wants to see.

We learn the origin story of James Bond, whose parents died to save his life, and he had to witness it firsthand. He’d been bouncing around all kinds of boarding schools ever since. When the game begins, Bond is 26, and he’s not a spy yet—he’s a Royal Navy air crewman, later recruited into MI6. 

The 007 trailer sets the stage for a completely new story. 007 First Light is set in the modern day, long before any of the movies ever took place. Aside from new characters such as the mysterious antagonist referred to as 009, we’ll see familiar faces, such as M, Q, and Moneypenny.

Apart from giving us a glimpse into Bond’s dark story, the trailer shows us the kind of 007 First Light gameplay we can expect. Bond travels all over the globe, sneaks around, shoots his gun, and throws grenades, not to mention racing fancy-looking cars and looking death in the eye (on more than one occasion).

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References

1. https://ioi.dk/
2. https://ioi.dk/007firstlightgame