When is the first light release date for 007? In 2020, Hitman developer IO Interactive announced “Project 007.” This is the codename James Bond Video Game Project and hasn’t said much about it since.
Just five years later, on June 2, 2025, completely out of blue, IO dropped the game’s name 007 First Light. It came a few days later using the release window trailer during the play state. Then there are things we know and gained about the first light release date of 007 and what we’ll bring to you with the upcoming games.
007First light emission date estimate
The first light release date for 007 will be confirmed in 2026, but the windows are not set to a small window. Considering the usual two-year turns of the IOI games discussed below, I think we’ll see its release in early 2026.
007 First Light has been in production since at least 2020 when the first announcement was made. Historically, IOI is known to turn new releases every two years, only two years between each of the first four hitman games. Five years seems to be enough time for the team to be nearly finished with the first light.
The press release, where the 2026 release date was first discovered, will not be further details, but given the usual turnaround of IO interactive games, we expect the first light to drop at least a year ago.
007 First Light Trailer
The official announcement trailer that will arrive just a few days after the game’s title is revealed was on display at the PlayStation State of Play on June 4, 2025. The 3-minute video features a very detailed introduction to Young Bond, his Navy Time, and recruitment to MI6.
007 First Light is clearly a love letter to Bond and Ian Fleming, as there are all the signs. Beautiful woman, Bond’s rude confidence, gadgets, guns and of course, gold Aston Martin DB5. The 007 fans may be thwarted by the appearance of young bonded male students, but this was not a bond we met before, as this is a story of origin after all.
In contrast, the 007 First Light Teaser Trailer, which first revealed in November 2020, revealed little. They don’t even introduce the game’s real name. The video above shows a bullet packed into a gun barrel, with only the placeholder “Project 007”. The camera follows the bullet, passing through the bullet, and gunfires over the classic image of us overlooking the barrel of pistols.
Instead of revealing Bond at the end, the game’s codename was displayed on a red background, replacing the iconic white.
First Light is known to be the story of James Bond Origin. This can be seen as suggested here by the complete journey of the bullet, as it was loaded into a gun at the top of the clip.
007 First Light Game Play
The release date trailer will show you more stories and cutscenes, but you’ll be able to start evaluating some information from the footage, although it’s set to show more gameplay this summer.
First, 007’s First Light appears to use the same third person perspective as IOI’s Hitman 3, allowing players to switch between standard third person and overreply. There is certainly a lot of hitman influence here, as the stealth section is shown at 1:30.
You will also see that Bond’s gadgets provide healthy weapons. In one clip, you can only assume that young spy-in training uses a wristwatch to fire lasers at enemies, and Q offers far more technology than that.
Finally, Bond’s iconic DB5 (from the movie, not from the movie) is a driving vehicle, as seen in the driving section around the two-minute mark. I’m not entirely sure if this is gameplay or not. The footage switches between film footage and what appears to be gameplay, but the hints are definitely there.
007 First Light Bonus Reward
We don’t know about different editions or pre-orders yet, but you can already sign up for an IOI account to unlock James and Gold Weapon Skin bonus skins.
At this time, you won’t be able to see this on the official IOI website, but we expect it to appear in the “Rewards and Bonus” section of your account in the near future.
This is everything we know about the first light release date of 007 so far, but will be updated as more announcements, including dates and gameplay details. In the meantime, check out other action-adventure games, stealth games, or the best PC games of all time, including the original Hitman.
