007 First Light Delayed: Bond’s Next Mission Won’t Launch on Time
IO Interactive has bumped 007 First Light by two months, trading a short wait for extra polish on the Bond thriller while development stays on track. Fans will have to hold tight for the updated release date.
IO Interactive just nudged 007 First Light back by two months. Not ideal if you were already planning your spring stealth marathon, but the studio says the game is content-complete and the extra time is strictly for polish. Translation: fewer day-one headaches.
The new date (and the old one)
007 First Light now launches on May 27, 2026. It was originally set for March 27, 2026. Two months. Manageable.
Where IOI says the game stands
"The game is progressing well and is fully playable from beginning to end."
That line comes straight from the studio. They also describe First Light as their most ambitious project yet and say that, as an independent developer and publisher, they’re taking the extra time to make sure the day-one build hits the quality bar. The delay is framed as a clean-up pass: more polish, more refinement, stronger version at launch. They thanked everyone for sticking with them since the game was revealed and said the move is about setting the project up for long-term success.
What this Bond actually is
In case you missed the reveal cycle: IOI officially pulled the curtain back on 007 First Light during the June 2025 PlayStation State of Play, complete with the first trailer. At the 2025 Game Awards, they added a very non-traditional spy twist — Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz is starring in the game. The pitch is what you’d expect from IOI tackling Bond: globe-hopping spycraft, gadgets, car chases, big action, the works.
Why a two-month delay is not a red flag
A short delay usually means the content is there and the team is chasing bugs, performance, and balance. The studio saying the campaign is playable front to back backs that up. If they were still building chunks of the game, you’d see a bigger slip. This is the less dramatic kind of delay — annoying, but generally for the right reasons.
- June 2025: Title and first trailer revealed during PlayStation State of Play
- December 2025: Lenny Kravitz announced as a star of the game at The Game Awards
- Original release: March 27, 2026
- New release: May 27, 2026
Bottom line: a little longer wait, hopefully a cleaner launch. Works for me.