James Bond Game 007 First Light Delayed Again, Now Set for March 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2

The James Bond game 007 First Light has been delayed once more on Nintendo Switch 2, with a new release window of March 2027.

Originally slated for a simultaneous launch across all platforms in May this year, the Switch 2 version was pushed back in April by Hitman developer IO Interactive, with a new target of this fall. That plan has now also been scrapped, as the game faces another lengthy delay until next March. In a social media statement this morning, IO said it would announce an exact release date closer to the new window.

"We know many of you have been looking forward to experiencing Bond's reimagined origin story on Nintendo Switch 2, and we greatly appreciate your enthusiasm," IO wrote. "To ensure we deliver the quality of experience players expect, we have made the decision to delay the release to March 2027, with the exact date to be communicated later. This additional time will go toward polishing the Nintendo Switch 2 performance of the game.

"We were thrilled by the positive feedback on 007 First Light at Gamescom, and it's a great sign of the progress being made across the whole game as we head toward launch," IO continued. "The same demo will be playable at Tokyo Game Show this week, so please join us there if you would like a hands-on experience.

"We will share further updates as soon as we are ready. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support."

For most fans, traveling to Tokyo this week to try the Switch 2 version will likely seem a bit much. And once again, it's unclear why the Switch 2 version has been delayed so close to its expected release. If the game isn't facing technical issues, is this a move to launch when the console has a larger userbase? Is there a concern about releasing too close to GTA 6? And what are the trade-offs of waiting even longer, as hype for the game fades? IO hasn't said.

IO announced the news today alongside a fresh update for First Light on PC, which adds path tracing and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction support, aiming for even more impressive lighting, shadows, and reflections. Other upcoming additions include a new story DLC centered around Bawama, the pirate king warlord played by Lenny Kravitz, plus additional TacSim challenges, a new gadget, New Game+, and a photo mode.

Since launch, the game has sold a solid 4 million copies in three months, though IO itself has been hit by layoffs as Microsoft pulled funding for its fantasy game project. There has also been confusion over what will become of First Light's planned sequels following Amazon's acquisition of the James Bond license.

"Demonstrably obsessed with bringing the Bond fantasy to life in a way no one has ever managed before, 007 First Light is the best Bond game I’ve ever played," IGN wrote in our 007 First Light review, awarding the game a 9/10.