007 First Light Finally Reveals How the James Bond Game Plays

IO Interactive just kicked off a behind-the-scenes series for its Bond game, 007 First Light, and the first episode actually shows a lot. If you were wondering how the Hitman studio is translating that sandbox feel to James Bond, this lays it out pretty clearly.

The dev diary: who is talking and what they are saying

The series is called Beyond the Light, and episode one brings in Gameplay Director Andreas Krogh and Senior Level Designer Thomas Pulluello. Their focus is player freedom. Think Hitman-style creativity, but pushed harder for Bond: multiple ways to solve problems, room to improvise, and systems designed to support whatever approach you want to try.

Gadgets that behave the way you expect

Bond gadgets are front and center here, even though this is a younger 007. The idea is not just to hand you toys, but to give you missions that encourage using them in smart ways. Pulluello makes a point of it: the team wants these tools to act the way players intuitively think they should, so you can lean on instinct instead of wrestling with finicky rules.

Combat is third-person and built for improvisation

First Light is a third-person action-adventure, so yes, combat matters. The team has added a bunch of moves, including ones that hook into the environment, to broaden your options. The goal is to keep that sense of on-the-fly problem solving intact whether you are sneaking, scrapping, or flipping a situation in your favor mid-fight.

The story they are telling

This is an origin story. We meet James Bond as a young Naval air crewman who pulls off a heroic act and gets invited into MI6 training. From there he is brought into a newly revived Double 0 program. Early on, a mission to stop a rogue agent goes sideways in a big way, and Bond ends up partnering with a reluctant mentor named Greenway. The two dig into a deeper conspiracy and work to prevent a coup aimed right at the center of the State. The phrasing is intentionally broad, but read it as trouble brewing inside the halls of power.

Key takeaways

• Series: Beyond the Light is IO Interactive's new developer diary for 007 First Light, offering a look at how the game is being built.
• Voices in episode 1: Gameplay Director Andreas Krogh and Senior Level Designer Thomas Pulluello.
• Design pillars: player creativity and freedom in the spirit of Hitman, but tuned for Bond; gadgets that behave how players expect; combat with new moves and environmental interactions to support improvisation.
• Story setup: a young, capable, sometimes reckless Bond enters MI6, joins a revived Double 0 program, survives a tragic op against a rogue agent, teams with mentor Greenway, and chases a conspiracy tied to a looming coup.
• Release date: March 27, 2026.
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and yes, Nintendo Switch 2 is listed.

The bottom line

This first diary leans hard on systems and feel: flexible missions, gadgets that make sense, and combat that lets you adapt in the moment. For Hitman fans, that DNA is obvious. For Bond fans, it sounds like the fantasy is intact, just framed through a younger 007 who is still figuring it out. The first episode of Beyond the Light is out now, with more on the way as we get closer to launch.