007 First Light is the next major game adaptation of the James Bond franchise, and given current conversations around new films, it could be the only major adaptation currently in the works. In the absence of a new, big screen thriller, developer IO Interactive looks set to deliver an ambitious alternative.
Here’s everything we know about 007 First Light so far.
007 First Light – quick links
007 First Light: Release date and platforms
007 First Light is set to launch on 27 May 2026. It’ll be one of the first major gaming blockbusters for the year, hopefully setting a high bar for everything else on the way. While it was previously set to launch two months earlier, it was recently delayed to give developers time for additional polish.
When it arrives, the game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Who is the actor behind 007 First Light‘s James Bond?
In 007 First Light, James Bond will be played by Patrick Gibson. He contributes voice acting, as well as facial likeness to the character.
Gibson has risen to prominence in the last few years, playing a variety of TV roles. His most high-profile role was Dexter Morgan in the short-lived but acclaimed Dexter prequel series, Original Sin. Before that, he starred in the (frankly excellent and unfairly treated) Shadow and Bone, which adapted a popular YA novel series. He played Sturmhond, the Prince Nikolai Lantsov.
Gibson has also starred in The Portable Door, The OA, The Darkest Minds and Tolkien.
Who else is in the cast?
Patrick Gibson isn’t the only prominent actor featured in 007 First Light – in fact, the game’s cast is fairly stacked.
- Lenny Kravitz, the iconic musician and actor, will play key villain, Bawma. He’s described as ‘the largest black-market dealer in the Western Hemisphere who’s as charismatic as he is unpredictable’.
- Iconic MI6 lead M will be played by Priyanga Burford, known for her work in the British TV industry (plus a cameo appearance in Bond film No Time to Die).
- Tech whiz Q will be played by Alastair Mackenzie, known for Andor, Professor T. and other British TV shows.
- Secretary Miss Moneypenny will be played by Kiera Lester, an up-and-coming British actress.
- James Bond’s mentor John Greenway will be played by Lennie James, known for The Walking Dead and plenty more besides.
- DGSE agent Miss Roth will be played by Noémie Nakai, known for Army of Thieves and the Tokyo Vice TV series.
- Dr Selina Tan, a mysterious new character, will be played by Gemma Chan, who is most known for Eternals and Crazy Rich Asians.
007 First Light: Plot and setting
007 First Light is actually a prequel story, covering the events leading up to James Bond gaining his 007 status. It’s described as an original story inspired by Ian Fleming’s original Bond books, with input from current rights holders, Amazon MGM Studios.
James Bond is 26 in the story, per IO Interactive (via Game File), and the story follows the soon-to-be-legendary spy as he leaves air force training to become an MI6 agent. Bond is not yet licensed to kill, and the game will explore this journey, and what ‘license to kill’ actually means.
‘He’s not the same character that we know in the movies,’ Jonathan Lacaille, 007 Franchise Director at IO Interactive, told Game File. ‘He’s discovering his charm, and things like that.’
For now, exact plot details haven’t been revealed, although we know this young version of Bond will be tasked with stopping a variety of villains, likely working together on a global plot. In his adventures, Bond will travel from England, to all corners of the world.
Watch the trailers
Here’s the first trailer for 007 First Light, announcing the game.
Here’s the second, more informative trailer, which reveals more about gameplay and missions.
Gameplay links to Hitman
007 First Light is a third-person action adventure game that relies on stealth and quick-thinking in combat. Bond will have access to a variety of gadgets and guns, as well as his fists.
While he doesn’t yet have a license to kill, it does appear Bond will be able to knock out or otherwise maim enemies in order to traipse through various levels and complete his missions.
Players will have a range of creative abilities and tools to play with as they roam, per IO Interactive:
- Spycraft – ‘You can eavesdrop on conversations for intelligence, lift a keycard from a distracted guard’s pocket, or piece together clues from environmental details others might overlook.’
- Instinct – ‘Instinct is Bond’s natural aptitude in gameplay form, reflecting his quick thinking and adaptability. It’s a limited resource that will fill itself as you take down enemies [and] complete objectives…You can use it to lure a guard toward you for a silent takedown, bluff your way past someone who’s getting suspicious, or give you a bit more time to take the perfect shot during a firefight.’
- Gadgets – ‘You might hack a camera system to clear a path, cut through a locked door with a laser, or distract a guard long enough to slip by. We want them to feel like natural extensions of Bond’s skillset, not just one-off tricks.’
- Combat – ‘You’ll swap between precision gun play and up-close brawls without missing a beat. In tight spaces, Bond can throw an opponent over a railing, smash them against a wall, disarm them in one smooth motion, or use the nearest object to incapacitate them.’
Notably, gameplay does resemble that of IO Interactive’s Hitman franchise, although with a lesser body count. 007 First Light builds on this series, adapting its stealth-based gameplay into a more action-oriented adventure.
Like Hitman, you do get a range of missions to tick off, with these guiding your progress. We expect anyone who’s played Hitman will find much that is familiar in the gameplay of 007 First Light. That said, there will also be core differences, as this game introduces new adventure mechanics, such as being able to take part in car chases.
Pre-orders and special editions
007 First Light is currently available to pre-order, with a range of bonuses (physical and digital), depending on which version you choose.
Pre-ordering the standard digital edition will net you a free Deluxe Upgrade, which gives you 24-hour early access to the game, as well as four exclusive outfits, a new weapon skin and ‘gleaming pack’ gadget skins.
There are also two physical special editions of the game.
The Specialist Edition (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC) will net you a free Deluxe Upgrade on pre-order, as well as a special Classic Tuxedo skin inspired by James Bond history.
The Legacy Edition (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) will net you a free Deluxe Upgrade on preorder, a Classic Tuxedo skin, an Obsidian Gold Suit and Golden Gun weapon skin, as well as physical items – a Golden Gun figurine, and a special steel case.
007 First Light: PC specifications and requirements
If you’re planning to play 007 First Light on PC, here’s what you’ll need specs-wise, at a minimum:
- Intel Core i5 9500K / AMD Ryzen 5 3500, Nvidia GTX 1660 / AMD RX 5700 / Intel Discrete GPU Equivalent / 16GB RAM / 8GB Video RAM / Windows 10 or 11
With these minimum specifications, you’ll be able to play the game at 1080p with a steady 30FPS.
The recommended hardware specifications are slightly higher:
- Intel Core i5 13500 / AMD Ryzen 5 7600, Nvidia RTX 3060 TI / AMD RX 6700 XT / Intel Discrete GPU Equivalent, 32GB RAM / 12GB Video RAM / Windows 10 or 11
It appears the game will be fairly demanding, although you should get by with a mid-range gaming computer or laptop as long as it’s got solid RAM.
