Hakan Abrak, CEO of the Danish development studio IO Interactive, addressed the decision to postpone the Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light. The game had already been delayed for all platforms from March to May. However, the Nintendo Switch 2 version will not be released on May 27th alongside PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and is now expected in mid-year. The Game Business asked Abrak if 007 First Light would suffer a similar delay to Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2, a game that was delayed on the console and has since seemingly disappeared from lineups.
Abrak commented on the delay of 007 First Light on Nintendo Switch 2:
“It’s already running on Switch 2. We just want to make sure it’s the best it can be. I don’t want to hear that it wasn’t a good version. To be completely honest, we need a little more time to get it to where we want it. We said it would come out in the summer. It will probably be late summer. But we will release it. Bond has a special place on Nintendo. And I promise I will do everything in my power, and as director I can do a lot, to get it in optimal condition.”
Hitman: World of Assassination continues to receive updates and is available on Switch 2, including time-limited missions featuring celebrities like Eminem. However, it has been five years since Hitman 3, and IO Interactive has dedicated most of that time to Bond and Project Fantasy.
“Sometimes ambition has its consequences. Bond is a very different game from Hitman, and building that core gameplay loop, that base platform, with entirely new systems… it’s very, very difficult. And we decided to work on two at once,” says Abrak.
“Now that we are close to the end, Bond will launch in a few weeks, and Project Fantasy is very advanced. From this point, we are looking forward to getting back to the details of Hitman. Rest assured, we are eager to get our hands dirty and improve, invent, and innovate with Hitman.”
While waiting for 007 First Light, check out 30 minutes of gameplay and learn about the collector’s editions.
