IO Interactive shared a little glimpse of 007: First Light during the Xbox Partner Preview stream today, showing off about the car in the game… the Aston Martin Valhalla.
The Valhalla is stuffed with F1 technology and really slots into the supercar category in a way that probably feels a bit excessive for a spy, even of Bond’s stature. You’ll have to earn the number first, though.
Anyway, that’s all a little bit of a let down when thinking this would be a bigger gameplay reveal.
007: First Light is coming out on 27th March 2026 across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. The game is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning you can buy it once and play across both Xbox and PC through the Microsoft Store.
The game is IOI’s first outside the Hitman series for quite a while, and as a licensed IP of this scale, it’s a pretty big deal for the studio. The story sees James Bond as a relative newcomer to MI6, working as part of a team as they race to catch and foil the plans of 009, who’s gone just a little bit rogue.
Last time out we saw a mission to intercept 009 at a chess tournament, showcasing the game’s evolved stealth action gameplay, before leading into a high speed car chase and then deadly combat as Bond chases his target to a fleeing cargo plane. Would you believe that the plane doesn’t have a smooth take off and landing?
We had an early preview of the gameplay reveal back at Gamescom and had the opportunity to speak with Franchise Art Director Rasmus Poulsen. Here’s a little tidbit, as we discuss Bond’s visits to Q Lab and whether they’re more Desmond Llewelyn or Ben Wishaw. “We have quite a bit of humour everywhere, but it’s important to mention that it is, first and foremost, a reasonably dry British wit, because otherwise it doesn’t feel quite like it belongs. And, you know, you’ll get to a Q lab and you’ll get to understand how that relationship was formed in that surprising way, I would say, so look forward to that!”
Head here for our wider 007: First Light preview, with insights on how they settled on James Bond’s look, brought cars, vehicles and high speed chases in alongside action set pieces and, of course, the more open stealth action style inherited from the Hitman franchise.
