Amazon Games has confirmed that more James Bond games are on the way following IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, but the developer’s role in those future titles is far from settled.
The comments came from Jeff Gattis, GM of gaming at Amazon, who clarified in an interview with Polygon that Amazon “didn’t have the full rights to this First Light James Bond game” when IOI originally signed its deal. According to Gattis, future Bond projects will be “done by MGM and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios.”
007 First Light was both developed and self-published by IO Interactive. Gattis indicated that arrangement won’t continue going forward, suggesting Amazon and MGM want a more direct grip on the publishing and commercial side of any sequel.
That doesn’t automatically mean IOI is out. It could simply mean Amazon wants to publish while the Hitman studio keeps developing, similar to Amazon’s deal with Crystal Dynamics on the upcoming Tomb Raider game. But it leaves the door open for Amazon Game Studios to take a bigger creative role, or even hand future Bond projects to another developer entirely.
How Amazon ended up holding the Bond rights
Amazon bought MGM in 2022 for around $8.45bn, scooping up the studio’s massive film library along with its stake in 007. For decades, the Bond franchise was tightly controlled by EON Productions and longtime stewards Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
In 2025, Amazon MGM Studios expanded its creative control over the franchise through a new deal with Wilson and Broccoli. That shift happened after IOI had already locked in its deal for First Light, which is why Amazon is now scrambling to bring future Bond games more directly under its own roof.
What this means for First Light sequels
IOI’s involvement has been a big part of the buzz around First Light. The studio’s modern Hitman trilogy is built on stealth, disguises, social infiltration, and sandbox mission design, basically the entire Bond starter pack. The game also runs on IOI’s proprietary Glacier engine, meaning any direct sequel built without IOI would either need to license that tech or start from scratch in a different engine like Unreal.
Gattis’ comments also fit into Amazon’s broader plan of linking games to its Prime Video lineup, with Tomb Raider getting a TV adaptation alongside the new game. Whether future Bond games will tie into upcoming films or shows hasn’t been confirmed.
