IO Interactive has announced that their upcoming game, 007: First Light, will be delayed an additional two months to allow the team time for “further polish” to the experience. The James Bond-led action title was originally intended for release on March 27, 2026, but is now set to release on May 27, 2026. In a statement published by developer IO, this move was made to allow for “the strongest possible version at launch.”
Interestingly, this new release date for 007: First Light is only a day after the formerly planned release date for Grand Theft Auto VI, which is now set for November 19, 2026. Grand Theft Auto VI, the long-awaited sequel to the 2013 Grand Theft Auto V, has been casting a massive shadow over the gaming industry, with titles both this year and next actively watching the planned release date for the game in hopes of avoiding the window where they will largely be overshadowed.
The initial delay of GTA was also suggested to have worked to the benefit of 007: First Light, being within two months of the game already. This being said, it is possible that the game’s polish was always in question, choosing a much earlier date to try to get some distance between the juggernaut release at the exchange of additional polishing time, which could be rectified through patches and updates if needed. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, IOI CEO Hakan Abrak was asked about the delay and the team’s thoughts, given they now had more space between their release and theirs. He stated:
It would be a lie not to say that, obviously, spring looks really good. I want to say in the same breath that GTA 6 is a welcome thing for the industry. I do believe a lot of gamers who maybe haven’t played for a while will get into things again, and generally for the industry as a whole, I think that will be amazing.
Even with the delay to May, there is still a lot of breathing room between the release of 007: First Light and November, so hopefully the time taken will give IO the needed time for polishing what looks like a fun take on the origins of the famous super spy. 007: First Light will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
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