007: First Light: first look at the gameplay shown at the State of Play

James Bond is back, at least in video games. After a surprising announcement earlier this year, this afternoon we had the opportunity to see the first glimpse of gameplay for this title, where Hakan Abrak, Game Director at IO Interactive, welcomed us and showed us a little of what this game will have to offer in March 2026.

Creativity and stealth

After just over 30 minutes, one thing is clear: IO Interactive’s touch is evident in the game, which resembles parts of Hitman World of Assassination, but with much greater detail and fluidity. The first gameplay showed us a mission in which Bond serves as a simple chauffeur, but takes the initiative when he sees a very suspicious bellboy. Having to enter the hotel, he engages in a creative process where the environment is his weapon. Bond will also interact with people, from having conversations with certain NPCs to eavesdropping on conversations to obtain information that will help him in his mission.

Another interesting aspect of the gameplay is the use of Q’s technology. In the gameplay, we see how Bond mainly uses his watch as a type of radar, which helps him find elements he can interact with. But it also serves to carry out certain attacks, from firing a laser that affects electrical elements in the area, to throwing smoke bombs or even tranquilizer darts.

At one point, it was also mentioned that creativity will be an important part of the game, something it inherits entirely from Hitman. In this sense, we can achieve a goal in different ways. Later in the gameplay of another mission, three ways are shown in which Bond, posing as a cameraman, manages to obtain a camera to continue.

Action and License to Kill

Not all the action in 007: First Light will involve investigating and sneaking around. It wouldn’t be James Bond without car chases and shootouts, and the gameplay showed us plenty of that. Part of the first mission shows us the action behind the wheel, with Bond in a car chase on a highway, able to take “shortcuts” across country.

However, the most interesting aspect is the combat and shooting. Bond will be able to use his charm and cunning to a certain extent to advance, but there will come a time when both fists and weapons are more effective. Gun combat is quite agile. The combat gameplay showed the use of pistols, but also machine guns and shotguns, and in some cases, even Bond throwing the empty gun at the enemy’s face to distract them. We also saw the Focus ability, where the action slows down for a few moments to allow for more accurate shots. And well, the action also seems to borrow heavily from Uncharted, with the first gameplay sequence ending up looking very similar to something we’ve already seen in the Naughty Dog franchise.

The cast of 007: First Light

Part of State of Play was to introduce the cast of 007 First Light, which includes:

• Patrick Gibson as James Bond
• Lennie James as Greenway
• Priyanga Burford as M
• Alastair MacKenzie as Q
• Kiera Lester as Moneypenny
• Noémie Nakai as Ms. Roth

007: First Light will be released on March 27, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

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