← all stories
IO Interactive
IO Interactive is supporting 007 First Light with free post-launch content after the game sold more than 4 million copies, and it has taken full ownership of its online fantasy RPG Project Fantasy after an external partner split. The studio closed its Istanbul office and cut staff in a restructuring.
Synthesized from 7
Yomimono stories · updated
5d ago
IO Interactive spent 2026 managing two projects at once: the James Bond action game 007 First Light and the online fantasy RPG Project Fantasy. 007 First Light launched on May 26 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It peaked at around 56,000 concurrent players on Steam and holds a Very Positive user rating. A Nintendo Switch 2 version was announced for late summer 2026, then moved to March 2027.
Project Fantasy took a harder turn. In early July, the studio said its partnership with an external publisher had ended. Reports from Bloomberg and other outlets identified the partner as Microsoft's Xbox division, though IO Interactive did not name it. The studio said it owns the IP and remains committed to the game, and that the development team had been reorganized with personnel adjustments. Days later, IO Interactive said it had acquired full ownership of the IP and project rights, would continue development and funding, and would close its Istanbul studio and lay off staff as it refocused on core titles.
The Bond game carried the rest of the year. At Tokyo Game Show 2026, IO Interactive showed the Switch 2 build and said the port is playable from start to finish, with global brand manager Laurine Deschamps and Glacier engine executive producer Cristina Vega addressing the work behind it. Developers also described a 27-year-old Bond still earning his License to Kill, an entirely original story, and HITMAN-style free-form approaches. On October 1, the studio released the free DLC Extended Operations alongside update 1.3.0, adding New Game+, a new difficulty called "00", Photo Mode, and the TacSim missions "Valhalla Protocol" and "Jungle Heist".
Key facts
- 007 First Light launch
- Released May 26 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S ↗
- Steam peak
- Around 56,000 concurrent players, with a Very Positive user rating ↗
- Copies sold
- More than 4 million copies, per IO Interactive ↗
- Extended Operations DLC
- Released October 1 alongside update 1.3.0, adding New Game+, the "00" difficulty, Photo Mode, and the TacSim missions "Valhalla Protocol" and "Jungle Heist" ↗
- Switch 2 version
- Set for March 2027 and playable from start to finish in its in-development build ↗
- Bond in 007 First Light
- A 27-year-old Bond still working to earn his License to Kill, in an entirely original story ↗
- Project Fantasy
- IO Interactive acquired full ownership of the IP and project rights and will continue development and funding ↗
- Restructuring
- The Istanbul studio will close and staff will be laid off as the company focuses on core titles ↗
- Razer integration
- Over 80 lighting effects and over 80 haptic effects across compatible Razer keyboards, mice, headsets, and controllers ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Announced
- acquired full ownership of the IP and project rights for Project Fantasy · 2026-07-07
Connections
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/io-interactive.
CC BY 4.0.
Claim activity
When a claim about IO Interactive was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed acquired full ownership of the IP and project rights for Project Fantasy Sep 11 · source
- Confirmed io interactive produces 007 first light May 28 · source
All coverage
6d ago
IO Interactive released "Extended Operations," the first major free DLC for its spy action game 007 First Light, on October 1. The studio said the content arrives alongside update 1.3.0. The announcement came a day earlier through footage posted on X, which showed a sports car racing down a highway but gave no detail on what the download contained. The DLC adds New Game+, which unlocks after the campaign is cleared and lets players choose outfits and gadgets more flexibly, plus a new difficulty level called "00" for replaying the story. Photo Mode is included, with camera settings, filters, visual effects, and poses. New TacSim missions add an activity called "Valhalla Protocol," set in Slovakia, where players drive the Aston Martin Valhalla armed with machine guns and a missile launcher. A second operation, "Jungle Heist," returns players to the Pearl Hotel in Vietnam to recover documents from a villa safe, with the situation changing on each attempt.
Sep 21
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, IO Interactive developers discussed 007 First Light, the licensed James Bond action adventure shown there in its Nintendo Switch 2 version. The game, set for a March 2027 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2, features a 27-year-old Bond who is still working to earn his License to Kill. The story is entirely original, and the team applied the design philosophy of its HITMAN series to Bond-style action, with free-form approaches ranging from gunfights to stealth and conversation.
Sep 19
IO Interactive showed the Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light at Tokyo Game Show 2026, where attendees could play the in-development build. Global Brand Manager Laurine Deschamps and Glacier engine executive producer Cristina Vega said the port is playable from start to finish. The Switch 2 release is set for March 2027, after the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions launched in May.
Jul 7
IO Interactive has announced it has acquired full ownership of the IP and project rights for Project Fantasy, its online fantasy RPG. The acquisition follows the end of a relationship with an external partner, believed by some media outlets to be Microsoft. The company will continue development and funding, but will close its Istanbul studio and lay off staff as part of a restructuring to focus on core titles.
Jun 30
IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series and the upcoming 007 First Light, announced on July 1, 2026, that its partnership with an external publisher for the online fantasy RPG Project Fantasy has ended. The studio did not name the partner, but Bloomberg and other outlets reported that the partner was Microsoft's Xbox division. An Xbox spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company is reassessing its investments and focusing on top priorities, without denying the withdrawal. The split follows a broader organizational reset at Xbox announced in June 2026, which has led to layoffs and project cancellations across the division. IO Interactive stated that Project Fantasy is an IP it owns and remains fully committed to, saying in a post on X that the game will definitely see release. The studio also confirmed that the development team has been reorganized and that personnel adjustments have occurred as a result of the partnership ending. Project Fantasy was first announced in 2023 as a new online fantasy RPG designed for long-term expansion, with few details revealed since. Documents from the Activision Blizzard acquisition case previously linked IO Interactive's Project Dragon to an Xbox publishing deal, which outlets have identified as the same project.
Jun 16
Razer and IO Interactive have partnered to integrate Razer Chroma RGB lighting and Razer Sensa HD Haptics into the spy action-adventure game 007 First Light, released May 27. The game features over 80 lighting effects and over 80 haptic effects across compatible Razer keyboards, mice, headsets, and controllers, aiming for a cinematic 4D-like experience at home.
May 27
IO Interactive released 007 First Light on May 26 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The spy action-adventure game, which follows a young James Bond during his trainee days, peaked at around 56,000 concurrent players on Steam and holds a Very Positive user rating. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is due in late summer 2026.