007 First Light Sells 1.5 Million Copies in 24 Hours and Earns 88 on Metacritic, the Best-Reviewed James Bond Game in Over Three Decades

Overview

IO Interactive’s 007 First Light launched on May 27, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and within its first 24 hours the studio announced it had sold 1.5 million copies — the fastest-selling title in IO Interactive’s history. The game carries an 88 on Metacritic and an 89 on OpenCritic with a 97% recommendation rate, according to The FPS Review, making it the highest-rated James Bond video game in over three decades. The Activision-era Bond games ended when that publisher’s license expired in 2013, leaving a more than decade-long gap in major Bond titles before IO Interactive stepped in.

Sales Milestone

Gematsu confirmed the 1.5 million figure in its first 24 hours of release. IO Interactive announced the milestone on social media with a direct message to players: “1.5 million copies sold! Thank you for showing up to the launch of 007 First Light, for your overwhelming enthusiasm and for sharing your experience with the game,” as reported by Push Square.

The commercial result is significant context for a title that cost approximately $202 million — or 1.3 billion Danish kroner — to develop, a figure disclosed by IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak to Danish broadcaster DR and reported by Wolf’s Gaming Blog. For comparison, the entire Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy cost roughly $180 million in total across three entries, the same outlet noted. Abrak has said of Bond game budgets: “these games can be done for half of what you hear about out there.”

Critical Reception

The game’s 88 Metacritic score across 50 critic reviews, as tracked by The FPS Review and confirmed by KitGuru, places it above IO Interactive’s previous peak with Hitman 3. Multiple outlets awarded the game a perfect score.

Video Games Chronicle gave it 5/5, writing that “IOI’s latest is no Hitman game with a James Bond skin, it’s a bona fide 007 classic.” The same outlet described lead actor Patrick Gibson’s portrayal of a young Bond: “Gibson isn’t doing an impression of any other Bond; he’s entirely his own man, and the performance will undoubtedly bag him some awards come the end of the year.”

The Guardian also gave it 5/5: “Very few fans get to play in the sandbox of their obsession like IO has here. As far as Bond video games go, nobody has done it better.”

Vice awarded it 5/5 and called it “easily the best James Bond game since GoldenEye and…one of the better Bond stories told in the last decade.”

Game Rant rated it 8/10, describing it as “one of the more content-rich James Bond games…a solid, polished adventure with a memorable story.” Not all reviews were uniformly laudatory: Restart.run gave it 7/10, noting the game presents its flaws “fully emblazoned on its chest,” though it added the title offers “a fantastic foundation for future updates.”

VGC’s full review described a 14-hour campaign that draws directly on the studio’s Hitman lineage: missions allow players to choose between stealth, disguise, environmental manipulation, and outright action, with Q-Watch gadgets — players select three tools per mission — adding a layer of tactical flexibility. Driving sequences were identified as a weak point.

The Game and Its Context

007 First Light follows a young James Bond, played by Patrick Gibson, through MI6’s Double 0 program across multiple international locations, per Gematsu. The campaign incorporates John Barry’s classic Bond score selections alongside an original theme by Lana Del Rey, according to VGC.

The title’s success arrives at a consequential moment for IO Interactive, which secured rights to develop multiple James Bond games. Abrak has described First Light as “just the beginning” of a larger franchise initiative, as reported by Wolf’s Gaming Blog.

The Machine Herald previously reported on IO Interactive’s decision to hold the Nintendo Switch 2 version until later this summer rather than ship alongside the other platforms on May 27. A firm Switch 2 release date has not yet been announced.

What We Don’t Know

• Total sales beyond the 24-hour window have not been officially updated beyond the initial announcement.
• No specific break-even timeline has been disclosed by IO Interactive.
• The exact release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 version remains unconfirmed, with CEO Hakan Abrak indicating it will arrive in the summer.
• IO Interactive has not named or announced a sequel or follow-up title in the Bond franchise beyond Abrak’s general “just the beginning” remarks.