007 First Light – IO Interactive’s young-Bond blockbuster – has been pushed back to May from March 2026. That gives the studio a couple of months more to get everything just right on what is probably their most ambitious game project to date. In a statement dropped across official channels, IO notes that the game is fully playable from end to end and that this delay is really all about getting the polish just right – not because they’re scrambling to save it. They’re promising that at the end of it all, we’ll get a version of the game that’s as strong as can be.
The delay effectively slips Bond into a slot that was once earmarked for a certain other big game – Grand Theft Auto VI – which now finds itself elbowing in for the late spring spot. First Light is now going up against no prior competition, and that’s going to be a much easier sell for a prestige spy thriller.
First Light’s a reimagining of the Bond origin story, and Patrick Gibson’s signed on as the young recruit going through MI6 training to earn his 00 status. M, Q , and Moneypenny are back, alongside some new faces like the recruit’s mentor John Greenway, and the enigmatic Bawma, who just so happens to be played by Lenny Kravitz. Gameplay, as you’d expect, is a mix of stealth and over-the-top spectacle. You’ll be able to go from zero to hero in seconds, bouncing from quiet, high-stakes heists in Slovak resorts to loud & proud missions in the luxury hotels of Kensington – all while juggling hand-to-hand combat, car chases, and gadget-filled infiltrations. On the style front, the game’s looking like a total reboot of the Bond franchise in game form: an all-new continuity, collector’s editions, and lavish world-building complete with Aston Martin’s Valhalla supercar, and a seriously stacked cast of characters.