James Bond recreation 007 First Light has been delayed but once more on Nintendo Switch 2, and can now arrive in March 2027.
007 First Light was initially anticipated to land again in Might this yr on all platforms concurrently. In April, nonetheless, Hitman developer IO Interactive introduced a last-minute delay for the Switch 2 model, and acknowledged it might now arrive this fall.
Properly, that date has additionally now fallen by way of, with an extra, prolonged delay till its new launch window subsequent March. In a statement posted to social media this morning, IO stated it might present an actual launch date nearer the time.
“We all know lots of you’ve gotten been wanting ahead to experiencing Bond’s reimagined origin story on Nintendo Switch 2, and we drastically recognize your enthusiasm,” IO wrote. “To make sure we ship the standard of expertise gamers anticipate, now we have made the choice to delay the discharge to March 2027, with the precise date to be communicated later. This extra time will go towards sharpening the Nintendo Switch 2 efficiency of the sport.
“We had been thrilled by the optimistic suggestions on 007 First Light at Gamescom, and it is an amazing signal of the progress being made throughout the entire recreation as we head towards launch,” IO continued. “The identical demo can be playable at Tokyo Recreation Present this week, so please be a part of us there if you need a hands-on expertise.
“We are going to share additional updates as quickly as we’re prepared. Thanks on your persistence, understanding, and continued help.”
For almost all of followers, popping over to Tokyo this week to strive the Switch 2 model will possible appear a bit extreme. And but once more, it is unclear why the sport’s Switch 2 model has been delayed comparatively near its anticipated launch. If the sport is not struggling technically, is that this a choice made to launch the title when the console has a bigger userbase? Is there are worry of arriving too near GTA 6? And what are the trade-offs to ready even longer, as hype for the sport dies down? IO has not stated.
IO introduced the information right this moment alongside a contemporary replace for First Light on PC, which provides path tracing and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction help, in a bid for much more spectacular lighting, shadows and reflections. Different upcoming additions embrace a brand new story DLC centered round Bawama, the pirate king warlord performed by Lenny Kravitz, plus further TacSim challenges, a contemporary gadget, New Recreation+, and a photograph mode.
Since launch, the sport has shifted a stable 4 million copies in three months, although IO itself has been rocked by layoffs as Microsoft pulled funding for its fantasy recreation venture. There has additionally been confusion over what’s going to change into of First Light’s deliberate sequels following Amazon’s acquisition of the James Bond license.
“Demonstrably obsessive about bringing the Bond fantasy to life in a means nobody has ever managed earlier than, 007 First Light is the perfect Bond recreation I’ve ever performed,” IGN wrote in our 007 First Light evaluate, awarding the sport a 009/10.
Tom Phillips
Information Editor
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You possibly can attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social