007 First Light Implements Many “Learnings From Hitman,” But Bond’s Approach is Less “Premediated”

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IO Interactive, the team behind Hitman, is finding exciting new creative avenues with the world of James Bond, though they’re still building on what they do best. The game captures the feel of a Bond adventure with its story, varied gameplay options, and action, while also retaining the Hitman series’ focus on open environments, spotting opportunities, and using them to complete missions.

IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak told Game Informer that the game will feature opportunities for infiltration, specifically within a chateau shown in the gameplay trailer. Narrative and cinematic director Martin Emborg explained that they’re aiming to bring the same open-ended gameplay style from the Hitman series – offering players multiple ways to enter and navigate the chateau.

Okay, so the Kensington level is really cool because it’s broken up into sections, and a lot of it involves sneaking around places you’re not supposed to be – which usually means a fight! But the best part is, you have tons of options. I can go super stealthy and avoid combat altogether, or I can go in guns blazing, or mix it up however I want. The developers are aiming for all these different approaches to be equally good and, most importantly, fun to play.

While 007 First Light takes inspiration from our Hitman games, the gameplay won’t be identical. As gameplay director Andreas Krogh explains, we learned a lot from Hitman, especially regarding stealth. We wanted to incorporate that same stealth experience – including how players interact with the environment and the fast-paced, moment-to-moment gameplay that players enjoyed – into this new game.

We definitely wanted to build on what we’d already done, but we also knew this was a fresh start with a new character. That meant tackling some of the things we hadn’t quite nailed in the previous Hitman games – areas where we needed to improve.

Because the studio hadn’t previously created games with driving mechanics, they needed to bring in some new expertise. Abrak explained that while they had experience from games like Kane and Lynch and Freedom Fighters, they needed fresh talent to enhance their engine, technology, and game features. They aimed to exceed expectations for an action game, as Hitman allows players to take a more aggressive, gun-focused approach if they choose.

Unlike the typical, immediate reactions of a character like James Bond, our approach allows for more thoughtful gameplay. While you have freedom in how you act, the core Hitman experience is all about careful planning. You’re meant to observe, understand your targets’ routines and motivations, and identify opportunities before acting. It’s about methodical pre-planning to achieve a flawless execution and escape – something quite different from Bond’s style.

Beyond how the game plays, IO Interactive gained valuable insights from the way Hitman was released in episodes. While 007 First Light is a unique game, it still helped them understand things like the ideal length for future games.

The James Bond-themed game, 007 First Light, will release on May 27th for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It was originally planned for late March, but the launch was pushed back to allow for extra refinement. Despite the delay, it’s still coming out this spring – a timeframe the developers felt comfortable with after the postponement of Grand Theft Auto 6. Initially, the game’s PC requirements seemed quite high (32 GB of RAM!), but the developers have since lowered those recommendations to be more manageable.

We’re still waiting to learn the specific requirements for 4K resolution and how the game will perform on consoles, so we’ll share more details as soon as we have them.

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2026-02-01 20:42