Following the May 27, 2026 launch of 007 First Light, questions regarding the future of the franchise and the nature of the partnership between developer IO Interactive and Amazon have swirled. After a series of conflicting reports and executive comments, senior licensing producer Theuns Smit has offered clarity on where things stand.
Much of the confusion stemmed from shifting leadership at the franchise level, with Amazon taking over stewardship of James Bond from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. In a recent conversation, Smit emphasized that the relationship between the developer and Amazon is in a "good spot."
"What our CEO, Hakan Abrak, was sharing as well is that things are generally going great between us and our partners," Smit said. "We have our direct line on the Prime Video side of Amazon, and the folks that we're working with there, they're generally just as happy and excited with the reception and the game's success."
The status of the publishing arrangement has been a particular point of debate. While IO Interactive’s CEO previously highlighted a "great relationship" with Amazon, Amazon’s head of gaming, Jeff Gattis, clarified his position to IGN: "I did not confirm that Amazon Game Studios is publishing the next one. Did not say that. So unfortunately, it got picked up, and once it runs, it runs. No, IO's been great. They've been great partners."
Despite the lack of a formal publishing confirmation for future projects, the performance of 007 First Light—which has seen roughly three million copies sold across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch—has drawn positive attention from leadership. Gattis noted that based on those figures, "it seems like a sequel should be made."
For now, IO Interactive is keeping details about future projects under wraps. "We'll come forward with more official announcements when we're ready for communication on the finer details of stuff," Smit said. He added that the team is currently focused on the celebratory reception of the game and how the studio has handled the iconic characters and story.
Players looking for what comes next for the title can expect more information on the game's roadmap to be shared in the future.
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