"The game, which presents an original origin story for a younger James Bond, was released on May 27, 2025, for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S."
IO Interactive's 007: First Light Shatters Sales Records
1.5 million units sold in the first 24 hours—007: First Light has become the fastest-selling game in IO Interactive's history. Released on May 27, 2025, the title is available on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version currently in development.
A New Beginning for Bond
The first James Bond video game in over a decade, 007: First Light introduces a fresh continuity independent of the film series. The development team drew inspiration from Ian Fleming's novels to create a character study of Bond's origins.
The Story
The narrative follows a young James Bond—portrayed by actor Patrick Gibson—during his time as a Navy airman. Recruited into the MI6 00 program by M (voiced by Priyanga Burford) after a hostage situation in Iceland, Bond trains under former agent John Greenway (voiced by Lennie James) to stop a rogue 009 agent. Locations span Slovakia and the black market of Aleph, ruled by a character named Bawma (voiced by Lenny Kravitz). The cast also includes Gemma Chan in a voice role.
Gameplay: Stealth Sandbox
The game is a third-person stealth sandbox title, heavily drawing on the infiltration mechanics of IO Interactive's Hitman series. Players can:
- Use gadgets—such as a watch that disables cameras or fires darts
- Perform stealth takedowns
- Engage in hand-to-hand combat or use firearms
- Approach objectives via disguises, bluffing, and creative problem-solving
Vehicle segments are also included, with missions emphasizing strategy over direct combat.
Post-Launch Content: TacSim Mode
IO Interactive has outlined a post-launch content plan for the game's Tactical Simulations (TacSim) mode. This mode allows players to tackle bespoke challenges that remix existing game areas with different rules and conditions. A full roadmap of TacSim content will be provided after launch.
Sales & Reception
While individual platform sales data hasn't been disclosed, the game reached a peak concurrent player count of 68,477 on Steam.
Critically, 007: First Light has received an aggregate score of 87 on Metacritic and an 8.7 user score. On Steam, user reviews are 91% positive. Reviewers have particularly highlighted the hand-to-hand combat and the script.
"Some previews noted audio misalignment issues, where footstep and voice audio were reported to be directionally incorrect."
Pricing & Availability
At launch, the game was offered at discounted prices through select retailers:
- PS5 disc version (Costco): $62.99 (online-only for members)
- Steam standard edition (Fanatical): $60.89
- Steam deluxe edition (Fanatical): $69.59
Music
The game's score was composed by The Flight (Alexis Smith and Joe Henson). The original theme song was performed by Lana Del Rey and co-written with David Arnold.