007 First Light: IO Interactive tells the story of the "together" Bond game that never saw the light of day

The Danish studio spoke to Rock Paper Shotgun about an early version of its Bond game, which would have featured several 00 agents. A making-of of a creative pivot.

The fact

In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun (published on July 18, 2026), IO Interactive reveals a very different iteration of 007 First Light, their adaptation of James Bond. The game as we know it today focuses on Bond alone. But in the early stages of design, the team was thinking of a game "together": several 00 agents operating side by side, Bond being one among others.

The studio goes further: in the final version, the training sequence plays with this abandoned idea. As the creative team summarizes: "During the training sequence, we make the player a false promise." An admission that hints at a wink (or a mini-spoiler) to the old concept.

What this tells us about IO

IO Interactive is the studio behind Hitman World of Assassination. They have a rare expertise: imagining multiple simultaneous approaches to the same mission terrain, distributing objectives among sub-characters, creating a game space close to immersive-sim. From the outside, a "together" Bond would have been the logical follow-up to their DNA: multiple agents, multiple styles, multiple truths on the same mission.

So why the pivot to a solo Bond? It's not explicitly explained in the interview, but we can advance two hypotheses:

• The Bond license requires a focus on the icon. Selling a 007 game without the player being Bond is a risky commercial bet, especially for a first game that needs to reassure fans.
• Production complexity. Writing, dubbing, and animating several playable agents at the same qualitative level as Bond would have extended development by one or two years.

What this makes us feel

We are torn. On the one hand, the idea of a "together" Bond game would have been bold and unique. On the other hand, we understand that an origin story refocused on the key character provides a better entry point for non-fans. What matters: IO clearly keeps a trace of its initial concept in the final game, through this "false promise" training sequence. It's elegant, it's very IO - let's remember the secret endings of Hitman World of Assassination.

Comparables

To be situated with:

• The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013, 2K Marin), which had also pivoted from a multi-agent tactical shooter to a more classic solo game. Mixed commercial result.
• Alpha Protocol (2010, Obsidian Entertainment), another attempt at a spy game with choices. Undersold at release, cult since then.

IO's pivot shows that they know this history. The final game, if it keeps its release promises, won't be an espionage immersive sim - it will be a Hitman-like dressed in a tuxedo. For many of us, that's just fine.

Key takeaways

• Waiting note: 8/10 - Hitman fans will have their shooting range, but those who dreamed of a multi-agent systemic espionage will have to wait (or replay Alpha Protocol).
• For whom: Bond players, Hitman players, curious about narrative espionage.

A one-liner: IO Interactive preferred the precision of the Walther PPK to the orchestra demonstration.