007 First Light will not be releasing on March 27, 2026, according to a statement from developer IO Interactive (IOI). However, fans looking to play the upcoming James Bond title will not have to wait much longer, as IO Interactive confirmed that 007 First Light has only been pushed back by two months.
The upcoming game by IOI will tell the origin story of James Bond during his time as a rookie MI6 agent. 007 First Light will see Bond embark on a dangerous mission that will grant him his 00 status and his license to kill, should he be successful. The young Bond, voiced by Irish actor Patrick Gibson, will be supported in his mission by recurring 007 franchise characters like intelligence agents Q and M, along with original characters that IO Interactive created for the game. During the 2025 edition of The Game Awards, the main antagonist of 007 First Light was revealed to be a mysterious figure named Bawma, portrayed by Grammy Award-winning artist Lenny Kravitz.
‘Fully Playable from Beginning to End’ Star Citizen Dev Gives Exciting Update on Squadron 42 and Development Progress
Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games gives an exciting update on Squadron 42, in addition to reaffirming its planned release window.
007 First Light’s Release Date Delayed To May 2026
Although 007 First Light was initially planned to launch on March 27, 2026, that is no longer the case. IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak announced on social media that the new release date of 007 First Light is May 27, 2026, a two-month change from the previous March date. Abrak said that, while 007 First Light is in a playable state from start to finish, the extra two months of development time will be used to further polish and refine the game’s experience to meet the standards of fans. Abrak added that the goal is to deliver the strongest possible version of 007 First Light at launch, and remained confident that delaying the game would pay off in the long run. Abrak said that more updates about 007 First Light would be shared throughout early 2026, and thanked fans for their continued patience and support. In response, some fans said that they were willing to wait a little longer for 007 First Light if it meant a higher quality product in the long run.
007 First Light’s New Release Date Is Slightly Ironic
Interestingly enough, the May 27 release date of 007 First Light is just one day off from the previous May 26 release date for Grand Theft Auto 6. On November 6, 2025, Rockstar Games confirmed that GTA 6 had been delayed again, and pushed back its upcoming project to November 19, 2026. Although it is unclear if 007 First Light‘s initial March 27 launch date was deliberately made with GTA 6‘s old May 26 release date in mind, the updated arrivals of two of 2026’s most anticipated video game releases is an odd but notable coincidence.
As of this writing, 007 First Light and GTA 6 will now be released six months apart from one another. Ergo, gamers should have plenty of time to play 007 First Light and other titles while waiting for GTA 6‘s November arrival. Along with 007 First Light, the last week of May 2026 will be marked by the arrival of Paralives, The Relic: First Guardian, and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. It remains to be seen what the rest of the May 2026 game release calendar will look like in the months ahead.
Given that the James Bond franchise is noted for its high-octane action scenes amid the espionage and subterfuge of being a secret agent, IOI previously stated that it is not looking to make 007 First Light into a carbon copy of its Hitman franchise. But, with two more months of development time now on the docket for 007 First Light, only time will tell how IOI will take advantage of it.
- Released
-
March 27, 2026
- ESRB
-
Teen / Blood, Language, Violence
