007 First Light Sequels Will Published by Amazon Games, Company Confirms

James Bond action-adventure title 007 First Light was developed and self-published by IO Interactive. But that will not be the case going forward. Amazon, which now owns the James Bond IP, has said that any future sequels to 007 First Light will be handled by MGM and Amazon Game Studios.

Future Bond Games to Be Done by Amazon Games 

In an interview with Polygon, Jeff Gattis, GM of gaming at Amazon, said that Amazon Games did not have the “full rights” to 007 First Light, but future sequels will be “done by MGM and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios.”

“We did not [make First Light],” Gattis told the publication. “We do have a stake in it because we now own the IP, but that IP acquisition happened after the First Light IO deal was already done.”

IO Interactive, which develops and self-publishes Hitman games, signed an agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and EON Productions, long-time handlers of the James Bond brand and intellectual property, to make a James Bond game, initially announced as Project 007 in 2020. That turned out to be 007 First Light, which recently launched to rave reviews and commercial success.

Amazon acquired MGM in 2021 and took full creative control of the James Bond franchise last year following a deal with EON Productions.

Now, it's clear that Amazon will have full control over James Bond games going forward, with Amazon Game Studios publishing any future sequels to 007 First Light. IO Interactive will likely be involved as a developer — which could mean they will have less creative control over the games. Amazon Game Studios is also set to publish upcoming Tomb Raider games from Crustal Dynamics: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.

It's also pretty much guaranteed that 007 First Light will spark sequels going forward. The James Bond game sold over 1.5 million copies in just a day of launch and has received widespread critical acclaim, bringing Bond back into public consciousness and cultural discourse.

The last Bond film, No Time to Die, was released in 2021. Amazon is set to reboot the franchise with a new actor and is currently holding auditions for the next James Bond.