007 First Light release date revealed along with extended gameplay presentation

Today, IO Interactive hosted a 30-minute State of Play for their upcoming James Bond video game, 007 First Light. The presentation included approximately 20 minutes of Bond’s first mission as a recruit, unencumbered by commentary or other editorialization. The remaining minutes of the showcase dove deeper into the mechanics, options, and features included in the gameplay. And finally, at the end of the showcase, a release date was revealed for 007 First Light.

State of Play shows extended gameplay and a release date for 007 First Light

Fans have been eagerly awaiting more information about the legendary Hitman developer’s James Bond game since its initial reveal in 2021, and all was quiet for some time until it suddenly appeared in April during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Shortly after, 007 First Light’s first gameplay trailer was revealed just ahead of Summer Game Fest at a PlayStation State of Play. Now, we finally have a release date to look forward to. 007 First Light will be released on March 27th, 2026.

In this summer’s first gameplay trailer, 007 First Light had a much more Uncharted, cinematic style than IO Interactive is typically known for. Though, to be fair, that footage was edited into short, action-packed clips, so it wasn’t exactly easy to tell what the moment-to-moment gameplay would look like. Now, thanks to today’s presentation, we have a much better idea of what to expect, and while it still certainly has some cinematic moments, parts of it look a lot more like the classic Hitman gameplay.

In the opening minutes of the extended gameplay, Bond creates distractions and sneaks into a mansion. The deep dive at the end of the showcase demonstrates how the player will often have multiple options to approach problems like this in the game. When the fighting starts, Bond feels more like a super soldier than a normal human being, but that seems likely to add to the fun of this over-the-top, action-packed experience.

One of the most interesting moments from the gameplay showcase was when the player was able to hack into the controls of an airplane, and as they moved through the cargo space, they were able to essentially tilt the physics of the space to slam cars and boxes into enemies. Combining blockbuster set pieces like this, explosive action, with puzzle-like spy moments and infiltration, could make this a worthwhile experience.

007: First Light

March 27, 2026

Want It!

• Overview

• Agent 007 / James Bond (franchise)
• stealth games
• IO Interactive
• State of Play / PlayStation Showcase