New September PlayStation State of Play Revealed

PlayStation’s “State of Play” events are often some of the most anticipated moments of the year for the console, usually revealing hype trailers and exclusive gameplay looks ahead of releases. A new State of Play has just been announced, and it appears to be focused on following up on a trailer from June that would mark the return of a classic media franchise to gaming: James Bond and 007.

In a blog post published on Monday, PlayStation announced that the next State of Play would be dropping on September 3rd at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT. It is set to feature the first deep dive into 007 First Light, a game initially revealed during the June State of Play. This new title is the first new James Bond video game since 2012 — when 007 Legends released, and is the longest hiatus in the franchise’s history ever since studios started making Bond video games in 1982 — and is being developed in collaboration with IO Interactive and Amazon MGM Studios.

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A Younger Bond Has To Prove Himself to MI6

Set for a 2026 release date, 007 First Light is giving us an atypical sort of look at James Bond. Instead of being an already established and smooth MI6 operator, players will be following an inexperienced Bond who has yet to make a name for himself.

“In this upcoming State of Play, tune in for over 30 minutes of gameplay featuring a playthrough of Bond’s first mission as an MI6 recruit,” said the PlayStation blog post. “The action includes everything from high-speed car chases to on-foot stealth sequences and shootouts. Stay tuned after the playthrough for insights from IO Interactive on the intense espionage gameplay.”

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In the initial trailer, Bond is portrayed as a genius from early childhood, consistently excelling in his class while often at odds with the authority figures in his life, particularly after the loss of his parents. Unlike the more debonair portrayal of other Bonds, 007 First Light shows a Bond who is reckless and is described as a “bullet without a target.” The trailer also teased the possibility of 007 First Light‘s villain being another MI6 agent.

This Bond game appears to take inspiration from series like Uncharted, with distinct action set pieces and a heavy narrative focus. IO Interactive, famous for its work on the Hitman games, feels like a good choice to bring this more pugnacious version of Bond to life, as he has to balance espionage, stealthy takedowns, and going in guns blazing.

During Summer Game Fest, IO Interactive gave an interview explaining the contrast between this rough-around-the-edges Bond and revealing how he will have to be taught how to operate in the world of spies.

“Everyone knows how established Bond is in the movies and when taking the approach of a young Bond, we had to think a lot about how this character was and the journey he went through to become the character that we know today,” IO Interactive Franchise Director Jonathan Lacaille told ComicBook in June. “There are a lot of traits that are a bit more raw, like the charm, his wits, he doesn’t know how to weaponize it yet. He’s quite reckless, he’s kinda reckless in the movies, but in our game, he’s head on, thinking about the objective, thinking it’s the right thing to do and he’s not following orders. He thinks the right thing justifies a lot of things and M sees a lot of potential him.”

James Bond fans appear excited about the game, based on what has been shown so far, and especially after such a long drought of video game adaptations of the character. In February, Amazon MGM Studios spent $1 billion to take control of the James Bond IP, paving the way for a new era of adaptations. While IO Interactive still appears to be in charge of its vision for Bond, it has had to contend with at least one minor restriction for 007 First Light.

Are you excited for this latest James Bond game? Was it a good choice to tap the developers of Hitman for this iconic character?