IO Interactive has confirmed the exact second you can start playing 007 First Light next week. As you likely already know, 007 First Light will be released on May 27th but, if you pre-order, you can get in on the action a day early on the 26th. However, if you were prepared to stay up all night and jump in at midnight, you’ll have to do some waiting. 007 First Light will be doing a global launch, meaning the game will become available for everyone at the exact same time.
IO Interactive has revealed that the game will be released at 3 PM BST. For those in the United States, that means the game will be released at 7 AM PDT/10 AM EDT on May 26th and May 27th, depending on if you pre-order or not. That also means the New Zealand method that Americans sometimes use to play the game “early” by changing their console’s region won’t work, since everyone is getting it at the same time. For those down under, 007 First Light will be available from midnight AEST on May 27th and May 28th depending on your pre-order status.
007 First Light is just around the corner, and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on it.
Check out the launch map to see when the game becomes playable for you during early access and release.
Are you locked in and ready for this re-imagined origin story?
Pre-order now… pic.twitter.com/ULvCKHcIpS
— 007 First Light (@007GameIOI) May 20, 2026
As of right now, we’re still waiting to hear details about when 007 First Light can be pre-loaded. IO Interactive hasn’t revealed how big a download this will be but, hopefully, fans will be able to pre-load it this weekend or on Monday so they can be prepared for launch.
If you’re looking for other ways to prepare for launch and are in the market for a new console, it seems like PS5 Pro will be the best console to experience 007 First Light on. It was recently confirmed that the game will benefit from 60 FPS on PS5 Pro but, don’t worry, there is a performance mode on the base consoles that will allow for 60 FPS.
007 First Light is expected to be one of the biggest games of 2026. It has been in the works since 2020 and it looks like IO Interactive’s hard work will soon pay off. We’ve given 007 First Light two glowing previews, noting that it “feels like the fresh start that Bond fans deserve.” Only time will tell if the full game can live up to the hype but, if it does, it may be in contention for some awards later this year.
007 First Light is arriving on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is set to follow at a later date. In the meantime, why not take a look back at the suave, smashing – and sometimes positively shocking – 40-year history of James Bond Games.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
