007: First Light's developers "don't really think about" the hype around the 13-year wait since the last James Bond game

It's been 13 years since the last James Bond game, but 007: First Light developer IO Interactive isn't worried that a decade-long wait has amped up players' anticipation.

Speaking with GamesRadar+ at the Golden Joystick Awards, IO's chief development officer Veronique Lallier said that "I never think" about the amount of time that's passed since the last official Bond game. That was 2012's largely-panned 007 Legends, meaning you've got to go back even further, to 2010's Blood Stone, to find a decent game in the series. You might think that would heighten the stakes for IO, but according to Lallier that's not really the case.

"The focus we have is creating an origin story that's super appealing to the players, to fans of the IP, but also people who like the kind of game we're making." That could be a nice throw to Hitman fans hoping for a little Agent 47 from their Bond game (especially since IO's original prototype involved sticking Daniel Craig's head onto 47's body). Lallier says that means "we don't really think about the time" since the last game.

Whether IO thinks about it or not, however, the amount of time left to 007: First Light is shrinking rapidly. Due to release in March 2026, we're down to just a few months to launch, which Lallier says means the project is becoming "more real." The studio remains "head down, [...] refining all the details and finishing everything," but what it's shown so far has garnered some "extremely positive" feedback.

"I think everybody's extremely excited to see what we brought to the IP and the genre," Lallier says, "and we're looking forward to seeing what the players say." That direct-from-player feedback, she continues, is very important, because "it helps us to prioritize and focus on the right things, and also to motivate us a lot. It's really, really great motivation. It's not only our peers or the industry recognizing our work, it's the players, and that's really exciting for us, especially as an independent developer. It's so crucial to have the audience approval."

007 First Light CEO is glad GTA 6 got delayed since now "spring looks really good," but thinks Rockstar could help "the industry as a whole" once it finally ships its masterpiece.