007 First Light gameplay reveal finally gets a date, here’s how to watch

He might have died on-screen, but make no mistake, friends, James Bond is back. The wait is almost over to see more of IO Interactive’s take on the famed MI6 agent in action. A new State of Play presentation dedicated to the 007 First Light gameplay reveal is happening this week, and you only have to wait two days.

Yes, following that titillating debut trailer in June, 007 First Light‘s official gameplay showcase lands on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Kicking off from 11:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM ET, 8:00 PM CEST, and 7:00 PM BST, the forthcoming State of Play stream will be available across all of PlayStation’s official YouTube channels. No matter what region you’re in, there’ll be a stream suited to your needs. But what can we expect to see from IO Interactive’s new action game?

Previous State of Play stream dedicated at least 20 minutes to fresh footage, but Bond is getting the VIP treatment. Sony says in a recent blog post that players can expect “over 30 minutes of gameplay featuring a playthrough of Bond’s first mission as an MI6 recruit. The action includes everything from high-speed car chases to on-foot stealth sequences and shootouts.” Beyond this younger take on Bond, I’d love to see some light shed on the rest of MI6, namely our beloved Quartermaster.

It’s been over a decade since we last saw Bond in a game, so I need Q to deliver some wicked gadgets. We already know that Omega watches are back in the fold, so who knows, maybe IO Interactive is leaning into utilizing Bond’s wristwear during sneaking sections. After all, that’s where the developer excels, following its history of defining the stealth genre with the Hitman series.

Giving us the 007 First Light release date would be a neat touch, too. Aside from paying homage to Daniel Craig and learning from the initial technical blunders of Hitman’s Switch 2 port, franchise director Jonathan Lacaille recently revealed that Bond can’t kill at will in-game. Instead, his license to kill deploys at discretion based on the mission parameters.

If you didn’t know, First Light follows Bond in his first years as an operative, right from the moment he joins the 00 Agent initiative. While movies like Casino Royale demonstrate that two confirmed kills in the line of duty are required to grant a license to kill, giving Bond the right to dispatch enemies where he sees fit, going forward. I’m curious to see how First Light uses this as a mechanic, as Bond will undoubtedly have to get his hands dirty.

If there’s one new Switch game I’m gagging for, it’s this one. You can tune in on Wednesday by pressing play on the video linked above. In the meantime, I’m relying on the ARC Raiders release date to come and keep me entertained until Bond launches next year.