Bond. The iconic name that popularized the secret agent genre across entertainment, whether you know it from Ian Fleming's famed novels, the decades-long James Bond movie franchise or all the way back to the N64 days with the classic Goldeneye 007.
The MI6 British secret agent has been through a lot, from stopping a global threat in outer space in "Moonraker" to stepping on crocodiles to cross a river in "Live and Let Die." And having plenty of martinis along the way (shaken, not stirred). While I thought we'd seen the last of Bond for a while after 2021's "No Time to Die," game developer IO Interactive is continuing 007's legacy — and in a massive way.
A perfect fit
What also sets things apart and what sets him apart, is he's a charming guy!
Theuns Smit, Senior Licensing Producer at IO Interactive
Out of all the developers in gaming, it's IO Interactive that fits the bill to create an all-new, blockbuster-style Bond game. This isn't just your typical movie tie-in title; it's a full-blown AAA game that sees our favorite secret agent in a completely different era of his life — before MI6. In fact, Smit even says that "it was basically a no-brainer" for the team to jump on.
"For us at IO, we carry a pretty rich legacy with over 25 years of that agent fantasy experience, from our other franchise, Hitman," Smit states. "So that's something that we've really honed in and kind of perfected in a way, and we wanted to sink our teeth into something adjacent but within our strengths of the agent fantasy realm as well.
"So, the opportunity for working on James Bond came along and it was basically a no-brainer. From the very beginning, when we set our sights on it, we knew that from the get-go, if we do this, we wanted to be able to tell a wholly original story; our own created story of a reimagined young James Bond."
It makes sense for IO to take on the mantle of bringing a new era for Bond in gaming, but many have wondered if it will be closely tied to the style of gameplay we've seen in its previous Hitman series, or something more along the lines of Uncharted with a touch more stealth.
"For us, the focus is that we're creating a completely new experience from the ground up. It's a new game. It's a different game. At its core, 007 First Light is a third-person, story-driven, action-adventure game. And that combination in itself already gives you a good idea of where things divert from our past games and so on," Smit says.
"There is obviously all the creativity and the creative approach that we give you as players to play to decide how you want to approach your missions, how you want to approach your objectives. You get to be Bond your way, basically.
Smit continues: "He has his stealth that you can lean into, he's got his Q-Lab gadgetry, and that expands and progresses as you play through the game, so that's really exciting for players who are going to enjoy that. But then, being Bond — what also sets things apart and what sets him apart is he's a charming guy!
"He carries a lot of charisma, and, you know, Bond being Bond basically means that there are certain things that we get to lean into as well in the character development and the gameplay development. One example would be for Bond's ability to just bluff his way out of situations, so things don't always have to escalate and go into a fight."
As we've seen in the trailers, there will be plenty of action-packed sequences that have Bond in firefights with explosions and all, but being a secret agent is key to gameplay, playing off IO's strengths.
A young(er) Bond
We've seen Bond through the years, starting out on his first missions as an MI6 agent to his final years on the field. But what did he do before that? That's what IO Interactive wants to explore in its fresh take on 007, and you'll find a few nods to Ian Fleming's books in here.
I asked Smit if the developer had concocted a whole new story for 007 First Light, or whether it took more inspiration from the source material.
"I think it's a little bit of a mix because there's no lack of source material, right? There are the novels, the films, the other stories that have been told before, and we wanted to lean on the strengths that stood out for us and a few characteristics of Bond himself that perhaps haven't been explored much before," Smit explains.
"One example just being how he's described in Fleming's books with, you know, having the scar on his face and his hair and all that, so that's something that we leaned into as well in our character development, so that's why we gave him that.
We focused on creating a completely original, reimagined origin story.
Theuns Smit, Senior Licensing Producer at IO Interactive
"And there's a moment for why he has it as well. Finding the strengths between the stories before and the story now that we are telling and bridging that has been a really fun exercise. But we focused on creating a completely original, reimagined origin story."
"Choosing him to also be this young sets you up where you meet him before MI6, before he is part of the 00 program, before he has earned his number. So there are some events that see him becoming a 00 recruit, and he has to learn to navigate this new world of espionage, and this means that as he's going through his training as well and becoming an agent of MI6."
Q the gadgets (and cars)
It wouldn't be Bond without a helpful dose of discreet, cutting-edge gadgets, and IO Interactive made sure these were a key element in 007 First Light. So far, we know there's the Q Watch, wireless earbuds and a pen that are all made for espionage, but how will they affect gameplay?
"I mean, there's quite a variety that's gonna come, but I think for me personally, my favorite would most likely be the laser watch.
"At one point, you get this nifty kind of attachment for your Omega Q watch with a laser strap. And I think why I like it is because it's pretty versatile. You can open doors and locks and shoot the gun out of enemies' hands or give a quick blast to them, disorientate them and rush in to close the gap.
"You can even use it on the environment, shoot down a chandelier or something onto enemies or to distract enemies, something like that. So each of the different gadgets has a pretty unique purpose in what you can do to either misdirect or overpower your foes."
It isn't just gadgetry that takes up Bond's arsenal, though, as there are (of course) cars. Smit states we can expect plenty of vehicles, both for on-road and on water, but also one's that are "synonymous with Bond." Think Aston Martins, Jaguars and Land Rovers.
As Smit says: "there's going to be globetrotting, like you're going to definitely be collecting a few stamps on your passport, so to speak.
"As you move through the different locations, some of them are going to be bigger, some of them are going to be smaller, and it's about the context of what is it in this story beat, in this moment, that it would make sense for either a car chase here, or perhaps you're just driving from this point to that point."
Plans for the future?
Since Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" novel in 1953, there's been a long line of stories starring Bond, from the books to the movies. With that in mind, and seeing how 007 First light's story kicks off when Bond is starting out, it makes sense that this title may be the first of many. So, I asked Smit just that.
"Well, I mean, I could say that, you know, the future is the future. And for now, though, we are very much just laser-focused on bringing 007 First Light to players," Smit rightfully says.
"That's where we're putting all our energy and focus right now to really make sure that this experience that we've been working so hard on really lands where we want it to land and for our fans out there. Whether you're fans of the franchise, of James Bond, or just action-adventure or story-driven games in general, there's definitely going to be something for you, and that's for us right now.
"The key focus is, do this, and do it great. And then, you know, let's see."
So, not out of the question, but this is a first for IO Interactive after making Hitman the game franchise that it is. If 007 First light is all it's cracked up to be (and it looks it), we could see more adventures from the secret agent with the AAA treatment.
For now, we'll have to wait for the launch of 007 First Light on May 27, 2026. In the meantime, if you haven't already, you'll want to get playing through the best video games of 2025.
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