007 First Gentle Is Chasing Bond Authenticity In A New Universe

007 First Gentle marks IO Interactive’s long-awaited tackle James Bond, reimagining the enduring spy by an authentic origin story quite than adapting anyone movie. Constructed as a third-person, story-driven action-adventure recreation, it follows a younger, reckless and still-forming Bond as he works his manner by MI6 and towards incomes his licence to kill. With IOI’s historical past on Hitman, the sport is aiming to ship extra than simply gunplay, combining stealth, devices, automobile chases, cinematic set items and Bond’s signature sense of fashion right into a full 007 expertise. 

To raised perceive how this new idea for 007 First Gentle is coming collectively, CGMagazine spoke with licensing producer at IO Interactive, Theuns Smit, in regards to the collaboration behind the sport. Smit works as a bridge between IOI, the Bond licence holders and the various model companions concerned, serving to guarantee every part from automobiles and watches to the broader lore matches naturally inside this new model of Bond. With a personality like James Bond, there are lots of shifting components, and his position helps stability authenticity with artistic freedom, whereas giving gamers a way of what to anticipate once they lastly step into this new gaming universe. 

With a franchise like James Bond having so many components to wrangle, how does all of it come collectively in a recreation like 007 First Gentle, and the way a lot backwards and forwards is there? Should you say, “Oh, we wish Bond with the most recent Omega,” is there back-and-forth, like, “Right here, it appears precisely proper,” or is it extra about ensuring it feels proper?

Theuns Smit: Precisely. I imply, it comes collectively fairly excitedly, and it’s a protracted journey.

In the case of Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Omega, and Coca-Cola, now we have loads of model companions that we’re engaged on and ensuring that there’s this seamless integration into the sport as properly, however that’s achieved not solely in a becoming manner, however in an correct manner as properly.

So in terms of the event aspect of issues, the event belongings and the 3D fashions and all this stuff, I assist between the groups, our inside groups and the exterior IP holders, to share, “Oh, right here’s the car. Please take a look and evaluate.”

And we’re like, “Oh, you recognize what? The sunshine indicator really must…” It’s all consideration to element, which is what we care about and which is what our licensors in all shapes do care about. So I feel, throughout the board, you simply have a bunch of people who care deeply about high quality, and everybody ensures we collaborate to convey that to life.

For a recreation like 007 First Gentle, with MGM having such a earlier reference to all these manufacturers, how do you, as a studio, determine which manufacturers to incorporate and which of them to not embody? Do MGM or the licence holders say, “We wish to see these manufacturers within the recreation?” 

Theuns Smit: I feel it comes a little bit from a special angle, proper? As a result of at its core, 007 First Gentle is a third-person, story-driven action-adventure recreation, and that story-driven half is so key to this expertise. So it’s that narrative that drives not solely the gameplay, however the want for it.

So figuring out from the get-go that we needed to inform a reimagined origin story of a younger James Bond, and type of the blueprint that we had set out for this journey he’s going to go on, this story he’s going to be informed, that story was what shaped and formed not solely the gameplay, but additionally the content material and what it’s.

“Oh, right here, we actually wish to have an opulent drive by a desert onto a goal that we’re going after. So we’re going to type of want a four-by-four, type of off-roader car. Perhaps the Land Rover Defender could be a extremely nice selection for that. Let’s look into it. Let’s work on it.”

So the sport formed the wants. It wasn’t the opposite manner round. It wasn’t as a result of we needed to simply go after this title. It was in regards to the authenticity that it already holds within the Bond IP and the authenticity that it brings to the gameplay expertise. That was what it was about, being genuine.

Now, on that very same word, let’s say you say, “Okay, we predict this is perhaps a scene for Jaguar,” simply for example. Do you then must go to the Bond licence holder and say, “Hey, we have been fascinated about this. Ought to we strategy them?” Or do you might have the autonomy to go in any course you need? Is there backwards and forwards? 

Theuns Smit: It was fairly a artistic collaboration all through, however on the finish of the day, all all through, the licensors actually trusted us. Trusted us as a studio, figuring out the pedigree now we have behind us, 28 years of agent fantasy expertise, the successes we’ve had on our earlier titles, and simply placing ahead the imaginative and prescient and the artistic dream that we had.

So as soon as we’ve pitched one thing, it turns into very easy for everyone to purchase in and get on board with, “All proper, let’s make this occur. Let’s type this success.” So it’s actually been an excellent collaboration all all through with all our numerous companions.

As a result of James Bond is such an iconic character, whenever you add concepts, did you ever say, “Okay, we wish Bond to do this stuff,” and was there ever pushback, with somebody saying, “Oh, Bond wouldn’t do this,” or “Bond won’t go in that course?” Or have been they very open to your concepts? 

Theuns Smit:  Yeah, I imply, it was a part of it. They have been positively very open to our concepts. However all all through, it’s been a protracted journey, this recreation, and we’ve been on from pre-production into manufacturing and the ultimate. So we have been lucky sufficient that from the start, we had entry to legacy companions in movie from the franchise.

Working with the identical costume designers who labored on the movie, working with comparable artwork course, working with David Arnold on the theme track, together with Lana Del Rey and the title sequence. There may be this lengthy, wealthy historical past on this franchise and the IP that there wasn’t a scarcity of sources and sources to attract from. And yeah, it’s simply been actually nice.

Now, in keeping with the IP holders, is 007 First Gentle thought of a canonical factor of the Bond universe, or a separate aspect story with no connection to earlier or ongoing Bond entities? 

Theuns Smit: The factor is that 007 First Gentle may be very a lot bringing the subsequent chapter of Bond in gaming. So there’s a little bit of that break up from the cinematic universe into the gaming universe. We’re telling our personal story right here. It’s not a narrative of a earlier movie, or an upcoming movie, or something like that. It’s our tackle a younger James Bond, and we have been very lucky that we had the idea and help from the licensors all all through to see our imaginative and prescient, consider in it and assist us convey it to life.

So that is actually, actually thrilling. As we talked about earlier, there hasn’t been one other Bond recreation launch in about 14 years, and bringing a Bond recreation like this to life, which has a complete 360 expertise, is not only about capturing. It’s not nearly devices. It’s not nearly chases. It’s about all of that mixed. It has an actual 360 providing, the place you get to step into this world.

So if you’re fairly a Bond fan, you’re going to be consuming good. There’s loads right here for you. There’s MI6 to go and discover, this Q lab, there’s all of this. But additionally, in the event you’re the type of participant who maybe doesn’t have as tight of a connection to the Bond universe, at its core, there’s nonetheless this improbable action-adventure recreation, and that’s one thing that we really feel there’s loads of want for within the gaming area proper now.

And as a participant myself, who loves story-driven video games, it simply actually matches like a hand right into a glove. It doesn’t matter what type of participant you’re, there’s actually one thing right here for you proper now.

IO Interactive has such a protracted historical past of constructing this form of recreation. When beginning work on 007 First Gentle, how did IOI lock within the franchise to have the ability to make this recreation, in the event you can say? 

Theuns Smit: I feel it’s public data by now that’s been shared earlier than, however early on within the days, after we approached the licensors, we really used one among our current ranges with Agent 47 from Hitman, and simply type of confirmed them the breadth and depth that we will convey to gaming.

As I mentioned earlier than, it’s not simply racing or capturing or this or that, however there’s a complete world that we will convey to life, as a result of we’re identified for deep, immersive worlds and places that we will convey to life. And so I feel the proof was within the pudding. We confirmed them what it’s we convey to the desk and the place it’s we wish to take it.

The mixture of that background basis and that ahead imaginative and prescient that we had actually type of sealed the deal, and the remaining is historical past, as they are saying. It went from there, and it simply grew and grew and have become this improbable, stunning factor.

Now, you talked about that launch is simply the start for the 007 First Gentle. How does working with the licence proprietor and all of the manufacturers you might have introduced into this proceed going ahead? Is it a matter of continually saying, “We wish to add this part or this content material,” and is there nonetheless that type of backwards and forwards? How does it work whenever you wish to take the sport in a brand new course after launch? 

Theuns Smit: I imply, what we’re doing proper now with our tactical simulations, as we talked about, Tac-Sim, it’s nonetheless a part of the core recreation expertise. It’s nonetheless one and the identical recreation. It’s inside the similar narrative universe.

So though there’s a little little bit of a, you may say, meta factor to it, it’s grounded in some reality and actuality. This can be a part inside Q lab that does further coaching and analysis. And also you, as an agent, get to expertise these totally different setups.

After which from a gameplay perspective, we clearly go into some totally different mission kinds of challenges and issues like that, to provide you as a participant that replayability, that push your self to how far are you able to go? How properly are you able to pull this off? There’s a scoring system concerned, XP to realize, and devices to improve inside this monitor of it.

So it’s positively a part of the core package deal. However clearly, the principle marketing campaign and the principle story that we’re telling is a extremely necessary focus for us. After which, as quickly as you might have accomplished the principle recreation, all of Tac-Sim opens up for you. Sooner or later earlier than that, there’s a piece of it that’s open for you, so we type of play in between there, and that offers a pleasant incentive as properly to have that have.

One closing query, only for people who find themselves eagerly ready for 007 First Gentle. What would you inform them? They love Bond and love what they’ve seen to date. Why ought to they choose this up on day one or within the first week? 

Theuns Smit:  I feel it’s such a loopy trip, such an incredible, visceral expertise of bringing Bond to life. And since it’s so story-driven and so story-focused, the sooner you get this recreation, the safer you’re from stepping into any secret plots. And we all know now we have you guys right here working with us on that as we speak, since you’re getting some very nice, juicy issues on this play session as we speak.

However I feel it’s simply, in the event you’re an action-adventure participant, in the event you’re a story-driven participant, in the event you like third-person video games, in the event you like Bond, if you wish to have enjoyable, there’s a lot on supply right here. And I can simply say that proudly, that the workforce again residence have actually poured their hearts and souls into this, and it’s so thrilling to convey this to life.

I feel that it’s actually going to be simply an incredible expertise that we don’t need you to overlook out on.

Superior. Thanks a lot.

Theuns Smit:  You as properly, admire it. Thanks.

007 First Gentle releases on May 27, 2026, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, with a Nintendo Switch 2 launch coming this summer season.