New James Bond video game ‘007 First Light' launching next week

The end of May isn’t just for movie studios to release their blockbusters. A video game publisher is also releasing a huge franchise on May 27. IO Interactive and Amazon MGM Studios are launching “007 First Light,” a new James Bond game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S and PC on May 27.

To mark the occasion, the team released the launch trailer showing what fans could expect from this new take on Ian Fleming’s famed spy. “007 First Light” follows Bond’s entry into the world of espionage after his exploits catch the attention of MI6. He becomes part of the 00-Programme and must battle a rogue 00 agent.

This is the first new James Bond game in more than a decade, and it has the potential of being one of the best. That’s because “Hitman” developer IO Interactive is at the helm. The team has created a fascinating style of stealth games that act more as a toy box, in which players have an objective and are given several tools and the freedom to complete it in any way they wish.

That carries over to the new James Bond game. In “007 First Light,” players have four ways to complete a mission. One is through Bond’s stealth, in which he mixes with the crowd, eavesdrops and interacts with people to obtain information for his objective. If that doesn’t work, players can take a more action-heavy approach or combine both.

With “007 First Light” being a James Bond game, players can expect Q Branch’s gadgets that help him unlock doors, hack devices or cause distractions. In the spirit of the franchise, the action isn’t relegated to hand-to-hand combat and stealth. The game also features car chases and other action set pieces.

It’s a game that looks to challenge and go beyond what IO Interactive has done, and it’ll be fascinating to see how it turns out when the $69.99 title releases May 27, with a 24-hour Early Access for Deluxe Editions. The Deluxe Edition is free available for those who preorder the game before launch.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 11:27 AM.