James Bond Officially Returns This Year With Our Newest 007

Published Aug 25, 2026, 5:38 AM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

It is hard to believe that it was way back in 1953 that the character of James Bond was first created by author Ian Flemming for the novel Casino Royale. In 1962, the hit book series finally made its way to the big screen with the release of Dr No., starring Sean Connery as the first 007. Now, over seven decades later, the Bond franchise continues to grow, with six official actors taking on the iconic role, most recently ending with Daniel Craig in 2021's No Time To Die.

With Amazon MGM Studios now holding full creative control over the franchise and with our next Bond yet to be announced, all eyes are on the beloved spy franchise, but in the meantime, another Bond has been making waves.

The First Light In a Long Time

Launched back in May of this year, 007: First Light is an action-adventure game set in the James Bond universe, yet shining a light on an era of Bond that the movies have yet to cover: his adolescence and how he became the 007 we know and love today. Developed by IO Interactive and starring actor Patrick Gibson in the titular role, the game was a hit and still sits at an impressive 8.4 user score on Metacritic to this day.

In our review here at Screen Rant, we awarded it 9/10 stars, saying: "007 First Light has a legitimate claim to being the best James Bond video game ever. It likely won't be as influential as GoldenEye 007, and it can't recapture my childhood memories of snipers-only duels on Nightfire's Ravine map, but it has a deep understanding of what makes James Bond so magnetic. The car chases and extravagant villain lairs are essential, but the keystone is the globe-trotting covert ops."

Breathing new life into the Bond franchise, it is no wonder that fans have been eager for more and luckily, there is plenty more to come.

The Future Is Bond

With rumors suggesting that 007: First Light is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch as early as 16 September, there could be just a few weeks until fans get yet another excuse to dive into the action-packed title. However, this date has not yet been confirmed officially, so it is worth taking with a pinch of salt.

However, what we do know, is that story DLC for 007: First Light is currently in development and will be centered around the villain Bawma, played by Lenny Kravitz. Despite appearing in the main game, he is a fleeting character, and so it will be interesting to delve more into his story. Whilst the expansion was officially unveiled during the Summer Game Fest, an official release date has not yet been confirmed, but many expect that it will be in the late months of 2026.

With all of these exciting releases and the wait to hear who the next live-action Bond will be reaching fever point, it just goes to show that the franchise continues to thrive 70 years on from its initial inception.

Systems