IOI desires to redefine how gamers hook up with the Bond mythos in 2025 and past. Throughout our dialog, Senior Licensing Producer Theuns Smit made one factor clear: Kravitz didn’t simply be a part of the world; they constructed a part of it round him.
“Kravitz really understood the character of Bawma from the very beginning,” Smit defined. “He could carry that sense of charisma, but also be the kind of antagonist where you don’t really know where you stand with him. He’s mercurial. He demands respect and fear.”
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A daring soundscape
(Picture credit score: IO Interactive)
In keeping with Smit, the four-time Grammy winner and star of the unique Starvation Video games movies brings such commanding presence and easy charisma that he slips into the function as if it had been written for him, immediately feeling like he belongs in Bond’s pantheon of unforgettable villains. And whereas Smit wouldn’t reveal simply how central Bawma is to the plot, he did promise gamers will face loads of “twists and turns” and urged them to expertise the journey themselves.
Given Kravitz’s musical legacy and the lengthy historical past of iconic Bond themes, I needed to ask the apparent query: Will First Gentle get its personal authentic theme track? The final time a Bond recreation did was again in 2010 with Joss Stone’s “I’ll Take It All” for James Bond 007: Blood Stone, and earlier than that Mya lent her voice to the 2004 EA title James Bond 007: All the pieces or Nothing. Smit wouldn’t spill any secrets and techniques, however he did stress simply how central music is to the general imaginative and prescient for the sport.
“We’re really working on elevating the full experience,” stated Smit. “Games are often praised for visuals, but sound is what immerses you. We’re working with extremely talented musicians and sound designers to bring that level of musicality into the experience.”
He didn’t affirm whether or not a signature theme is coming, however the way in which he emphasised “full experience” suggests one thing important is going on behind the scenes. And with an artist like Kravitz already within the constructing, the probabilities really feel extensive open.
Channeling momentum as a design cornerstone
(Picture credit score: IO Interactive)
Not like earlier video games that includes the long-lasting MI6 agent, 007: First Gentle isn’t a movie tie-in however an authentic IOI take that stars Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone & Dexter: Authentic Sin) as a mid-20s Bond seeking to get 00 standing as a younger MI6 agent.
As Smit places it, “a third-person, story-driven action-adventure game” designed from the bottom as much as introduce an all-new Bond in an origin story. From early previews, the sport is unquestionably taking cues from Bond’s previous gaming incarnations alongside IO’s ongoing Hitman collection and extra set-piece-driven motion that’ll remind lots of Sony’s Uncharted collection.
That framing permits IOI to create its personal cadence for Bond whereas nonetheless respecting the a long time of storytelling that got here earlier than.
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“If you’re a fan, you’re going to see nods and winks to the journey and the franchise,” Smit stated. “But we’re also focused on bringing a new and exciting reimagined origin story into that space.”
And in contrast to many earlier Bond video games, which leaned closely on capturing or stealth, First Gentle channels momentum as a design cornerstone.
“When things escalate into a firefight, Bond is improvisational,” Smit defined. “He grabs what’s around him like throwing objects, kicking a shotgun up off the ground, grabbing it mid-air, firing until it’s empty, then throwing the gun at someone and closing the gap. It’s always forward drive, forward movement.”
That kinetic really feel was showcased within the early Slovakia mission demo: a vehicular chase in an Aston Martin, an airfield pursuit, and Bond doing what Bond does: staying in movement.
Elevated realism
(Picture credit score: IO Interactive)
Working with a world icon like Bond means there are guidelines. There’s actual historical past unfold throughout numerous media outdoors of movie, such because the Ian Fleming books that impressed the franchise. There’s a tone that followers count on. However Smit says the collaboration with Amazon MGM offers IOI room to construct.
“It’s about doing justice to the IP and staying true to the lore, the characters, the world,” Smit shared. “But it’s also about bringing something new to that space.”
That stability may be seen in how First Gentle approaches devices, one of many pillars of the Bond id. “We’re giving you the full 360 Bond experience,” Smit stated earlier than alluding to a possible hub-like space between missions. “You can go to Q Lab. You can walk up to Q. He’s a fun character in our game, and he’s the brain behind all the gadgets.”
That philosophy formed the workforce’s method to “elevated realism,” the place grounded, on a regular basis objects are reimagined as instruments of the commerce: a cellphone turns into a “dark phone” that fires off a blinding flash to disorient enemies, a lighter ejects smoke pellets for fast escapes, and a watch strap hides a laser able to slicing open doorways or disarming foes. “It’s all about linking gadgets to everyday things you wouldn’t expect,” Smit added, “but elevated into that Bond fantasy.”
Although IOI could also be identified for finely tuned stealth motion gameplay, car sequences are comparatively new territory for the studio. Contemplating this signature a part of Bond’s id, that was a non-negotiable.
“Sometimes the story prompts a vehicle moment,” Smit stated. “We wanted to honor that. It’s something new to us, but you expect it from James Bond, so we put it in.”
IOI is on the right track to rebuild the Bond universe with new stars, new histories, and new threats. First Gentle seems like the beginning of an period formed by daring decisions, unforgettable personalities, and dynamic gameplay. Search for the sport to drop on March 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X and Collection S, PC, and Nintendo Swap 2.
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