The development of 007 First Light cost more than creating the entire Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy
Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, participated in the K-Live podcast, during which he revealed the budget for the spy action game about a young James Bond, 007 First Light.
007 First Light
According to Abrak, the game's creation cost a substantial 1.3 billion Danish kroner, which is approximately $202 million. He did not specify whether this figure includes marketing expenses for 007 First Light and the purchase of the IP license. If not, the final amount should be even larger.
For comparison, last year Abrak reported that the budget for the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy was about $180 million. Specifically, $100 million was spent on Hitman 2016, $60 million on Hitman 2, and $20 million on Hitman 3. However, he emphasized that these are not exact figures, but estimates. In any case, Abrak already stated that more money was invested in 007 First Light, though he did not name an exact amount.
How long it will take IO Interactive to recoup these costs remains an open question. However, it's clear that 007 First Light made a confident debut. As the studio announced, sales reached 1.5 million copies within the first 24 hours after release.
To recall, 007 First Light was released on May 27, 2026. It is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, with a summer release planned for Nintendo Switch 2.