Former Destiny 2 vice president Mark Noseworthy has commented on why a two-year dev cycle between 007: First Light sequels probably wouldn't work.
A Twitter user posted a graphic outlining their hopes for 007 First Light as a series, comparing it to Naughty Dog's titles: the original Uncharted trilogy was released within six years, whereas The Last of Us took seven years to get a sequel. They propose that "I literally want the the [sic] same graphics, same engine, same combat, and the same mechanics as the first game." They add, "Use the tools that you've spent ~5 years building and give us a new narrative and just more of the same gameplay in a new playground."
Meaning, a simple sequel will contribute less margin than imagined, and therefore struggle to justify the (still) major investment. So you need to make it for way less or find a way to innovate so that it sells even more. Both are risky. The latter leads to longer dev times.June 2, 2026
Noseworthy – who lead the Destiny 2 team until he left Bungie in 2024 – responds to the post, saying, "While I like this (as a player) too, the business truth is" before explaining "It will review worse (due to lack of innovation)," "It will sell worse (because novelty has worn off and lack of innovation)," and "It will cost nearly the same amount because of inflation and most dev cost is Production."
He adds, "a simple sequel will contribute less margin than imagined, and therefore struggle to justify the (still) major investment." He also says that IO would "need to make it for way less or find a way to innovate so that it sells even more."
However, as many users in the replies point out, IO Interactive released the three entries in the Hitman World of Assassination Trilogy within seven years, and each one reviewed better than the last (Hitman 3 was the studio's highest-rated game until 007: First Light released). Also, while 007 First Light had a very long development time from its initial announcement, IO has proven willing to iterate on follow-ups in the past.
007: First Light has already proved to be very successful for IO Interactive, with the game breaching the 1.5 million copies sold mark within the first two days, so at this point, a sequel is inevitable. However, I'm definitely in the camp of I'd rather see another game sooner rather than later. Maybe the Uncharted or Hitman release schedule isn't realistic, but the Final Fantasy 7 Remake or Star Wars Jedi trilogy's schedule of releasing every three or four years would be good too. Otherwise, you risk facing the issues Square Enix has in bringing younger players in because it takes a whole generation for a Final Fantasy sequel to release.
Playing one of the best new games of 2026 yourself? Be sure to read through our recent 007 First Light interview to learn more about IO Interactive's experience developing it.
