Bond Is Late: 007 First Light Pushed Back to May 2026
James Bond might have a license to kill, but apparently, he also has a license to hit the snooze button on his own release date.
We were expecting to suit up as the world's most famous spy a little earlier, but IO Interactive has officially pumped the brakes. In a statement released today, Hakan Abrak, the big boss over at IOI, confirmed that 007 First Light is being delayed by two months. The new release date is officially May 27, 2026.
The "Polish" Excuse (Which We Actually Believe This Time)
Usually, when a studio delays a game, it is because the code is on fire and the NPCs are T-posing in the cutscenes. However, this delay feels... different. It is short. Two months is nothing in the grand scheme of modern game development, where "delayed" usually means "see you next year."
Abrak claims the game is "fully playable from beginning to end." That is a massive flex in an industry where games are often pieced together in the final weeks like a frantic jigsaw puzzle. The reason for the delay? The classic desire to "polish and refine." They want to ensure the experience meets the quality we expect on day one. Considering IO Interactive gave us the Hitman trilogy, which runs like a Swiss watch, I am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Building A Human, Not A Doll
This focus on quality lines up perfectly with what we heard directly from the studio earlier this year. In our exclusive Gamescom interview, Franchise Art Director Rasmus Poulsen told us that building this new Bond required a massive technological leap for the studio.
"We don't want a doll, we want a human," Poulsen told me, emphasizing that they needed advanced facial capture and "wrinkle and muscle systems" to convey the emotional nuance of a younger, rawer Bond. If they are trying to animate the subtle facial ticks of a man realizing he just killed someone for the first time, those extra eight weeks of polish are probably going straight into the texture of his skin and the weight of his animations.
Dodging The Rockstar Nuke
From a strategic standpoint, this delay is actually brilliant. 2026 is shaping up to be a bloodbath. With Grand Theft Auto VI recently slipping from its original window to a confirmed November 19, 2026 release, the end of the year is now a radioactive no-go zone for other publishers.
By planting their flag in May, IO Interactive gives Bond the entire summer to dominate the conversation before Rockstar sucks all the air out of the room in the fall. It gives us a massive blockbuster to chew on mid-year and ensures 007 First Light doesn't get buried under the hype of Vice City.
We have waited decades for a proper Bond origin story that treats the character like a human being rather than a suit with a gun. If taking an extra two months means the Aston Martin handles like a dream and the gadgets actually work, I say let them cook.