IO Interactive’s James Bond will still have his “Bondiness, his hot-headedness” in 007 First Light
Last night, IO Interactive shared a ton of information about 007 First Light, all in the form of a dedicated State of Play where around 35 minutes of gameplay was presented to fans. It was also here that we learnt the release date for the game and saw its whopping $300 Collector’s Edition too.
But in line with the State of Play, we also had the chance to share some thoughts on the game in a dedicated preview, following seeing some of the action at Gamescom, where we also had the opportunity to interview senior licensing producer at IOI, Theuns Smit.
In the interview, we asked Smit about what went into creating an original James Bond and if IOI had to jump through any hurdles. He explained the following:
“Yeah, I mean, for us, we’ve been very excited working on this, so we definitely went back, we looked at all the source material, you know, not just the films and books, but the novels as well. I think there’s been a few eagle-eyed fans out there who spotted the description that Ian Fleming gave Bond in the beginning with, like, a scar on his face. We decided, you know what, that’s something that fits our Bond. We’ll work this into the story, and it’s going to be really nice.
“So we were very excited from the outset to create our new and unique Bond. And, I mean, he’s still… His intrinsic Bondiness is there, his hot-headedness. You’re going to also go through some generational, you know, conflict or tension, so to speak. You, Bond, and his mentor, you saw him in the first trailer as well, Greenway. We’re very excited to dive into that a little bit more because this is the first time that Bond is entering MI6, going into the 00 recruit programme, he has to earn his number, and you, as the player, get to do that alongside him.”
Bond has always been a character associated with a few core personality traits, including being a smooth-talker, witty and intelligent, and a womaniser too. We asked Smit how IOI was approaching some of these elements considering we are seeing Bond steadily alter some of these traits as he adapts to a shifting cultural climate.
“I think that, over the years, there’s been definitely a great evolution, you know, to the character of Bond. We’ve seen that also in very recent years, and, you know, powerful and dynamic female characters are part of Bond’s journey, and they help drive him forward as well, and what fans would want to expect from dynamic characters, people around him to help shape him, and for who he needs to become on seeking his purpose. We’ve included that in a very diverse narrative that we’re telling. So we’re very, very excited for you to experience that.”
Check out the full interview with Smit below and don’t forget to add 007 First Light to you wishlist ahead of its debut in March 2026.