007 First Light Teases Post-Launch Content Plans

IO Interactive has revealed that the studio’s new James Bond game, 007 First Light, will receive post-release content updates in the same vein as Hitman: World of Assassination. 007 First Light is a single-player reimagining of James Bond’s origin story, first announced just a few weeks ago during PlayStation’s State of Play presentation. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC in 2026.

In partnership with Amazon MGM, 007 First Light is IO Interactive’s first foreign IP venture after breaking away from Square Enix in 2017. Since then, the studio has steadily brought all three mainline titles in the Hitman franchise—Hitman (2016), Hitman 2 (2018), and Hitman 3 (2021)—under the umbrella of Hitman: World of Assassination, an initiative that transformed the game into an ever-evolving, live-service single-player experience. Due to the standout success of this model, which saw World of Assassination’s player count exceed 75 million, IOI aims to recreate it in 007 First Light.

007 First Light Offer Something Films Couldnt

007 First Light Could Offer Something The Bond Films Never Could

IO Interactive’s younger James Bond could be the key to 007 First Light’s success as it explores the character in a way the films never could.

In an interview with The Game Business, CEO Hakan Abrak confirmed that 007 First Light will follow the same live-service blueprint as Hitman, with new missions that will be steadily added to the game over time. Abrak also reassured players that they would receive a complete package on day one. “The first objective with 007 First Light is to come out with the best possible, most impactful journey for gamers,” he said. Though 007 First Light is being developed in collaboration with Amazon MGM, which means there is some oversight, Abrak has stated that everyone is in full agreement about “who Bond is,” settling fears about a potential difference in vision that could complicate development.

007 First Light Will Be a Single-Player Live-Service Game

Hakan Abrak pointed to the team’s past work on Hitman: World of Assassination as a foundation for 007 First Light. “You could expect that we’ll be applying some of our learnings from World of Assassination to Bond,” he stated. That said, the studio’s goal isn’t to turn 007 First Light into another Hitman, as the fundamental playstyle and gameplay loop of any would-be James Bond title should be inherently different from an Agent 47 game. The cinematic trailer for 007 First Light offered no gameplay footage to get a real feel for how it will play, but Abrak promises that there will be “more actiony things and more kinetic challenges in Bond.”

Abrak also confirmed that 007 First Light will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, explaining that the decision stems from “unfinished business” with the platform after a lackluster implementation of Hitman on the first Switch’s Cloud services. The studio believes that the game is well-suited for on-the-go play that consoles like Switch 2 facilitate. Whether this also means that IOI is trying to make sure 007 First Light will be Steam Deck Verified is still up in the air.

The reveal of 007 First Light reinforces IO’s growing influence in the AAA space. The studio provides an alternative model for how a single-player mission-based game can thrive in the increasingly saturated market space while maintaining independence and quality. How this unusual formula will fare for a brand-new IP that’s not Hitman will go a long way toward showing its sustainability in the long term. If successful, others may start following in earnest.