007 First Light developer IO Interactive has said that their version of James Bond won’t be anything like the “old school” spy of the 1960s, a decision the studio claimed would would be “tone deaf” today.
007 First Light, the next game from the Swedish studio is now primed to launch in May 2026 after a short delay. Releasing before Hitman 4, which the studio has promised will happen, the upcoming stealth-action game is a more modern take on the iconic British spy.
Speaking to Monstervine, cinematics director Martin Emborg revealed that while there will be elements of the smooth-talking Bond many have come to expect from the franchise, he’ll be a “modern guy” and will reflect “modern values”.
When asked at The Game Awards 2025 about whether or not their spy, played by Dexter Original Sin’s Patrick Gibson, will share some of the earlier Bonds’ characteristics, specifically focusing on the character’s “womaniser” tendencies, Emborg explained said, “Yeah, you will [see that].”
However, he went on to explain that the “character [of] Bond has evolved”, adding: “So, he’s evolved through the decades, and obviously, we reflect modern values. So it’s not going to be your old school Bond, which would just be tone deaf in this day, right? He’s a modern guy.”
The earlier James Bond films, in particular, have rightly come under fire over the spy’s treatment of women. As well as being generally inappropriate, the spy even resorts to hitting women, for example in The Man with the Golden Gun where Roger Moore’s Bond slaps Andrea Anders then threatens to break her arm.
Whilst many have likened First Light to IO’s Hitman series in terms of gameplay, Emborg says the team has worked hard on the combat system that they hope will create a completely new experience.
He said: “It’s really physical because Bond is a very physical guy. It’s a lot of fun, and I think that’s something that IO hadn’t done before. I think we’ve also put layers and layers on our ranged combat. Like, really polishing that and taking that to the next level. So, I think everyone at IO has been really hungry to kind of go for that. Yeah, as well as big set pieces, trucks, and planes, you know.”
The bad news is that First Light has been delayed for two months, and will now release on May 28, 2026 despite IO confirming it’s “fully playable” from beginning to end. In its latest post on X, IO called the game its “most ambitious project to date”, adding: “We’re confident this sets 007 First Light up for long-term success, and we sincerely appreciate the patience and continued support we’ve received ever since we revealed the game.”
