007 First Light, IO Interactive’s James Bond game, is delayed ‘to ensure the experience meets the level of quality you players deserve on day one’

007 First Light, IO Interactive’s foray into the world of James Bond, has been delayed a little bit. Instead of launching on March 27 as planned, the studio has decided to give it a couple more months of work, and will release it on May 27 instead.

“007 First Light is our most ambitious project to date, and the team has been fully focused on delivering an unforgettable James Bond experience, bringing together breathtaking action, globe-trotting, spycraft, gadgets, car chases, and more,” IO wrote in a message shared on X. “As an independent developer and publisher, this decision allows us to ensure the experience meets the level of quality you players deserve on day one.”

IO said the 007 First Light “is fully playable from beginning to end,” so the additional time is all about polishing the game to ensure its “long-term success.” And it’s understandable that the studio would want to be extra-cautious about this one, because it represents a real creative risk: Bond is extremely familiar as a pop culture icon and that could potentially work against it because IO’s take is almost a reboot, casting him as a “young, resourceful and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program” who’s given a shot at the famed Double-O program after a particularly impressive act of heroism.