We’ve seen James Bond at the end of his career so many times that I was starting to think the next movie would just be him arguing with an insurance agent about his knee replacement surgery. But IO Interactive - the geniuses who basically perfected the art of "being a bald guy in a suit" with the Hitman series, are set to ensure that 2026 brings a new version of those beginnings.
The new story trailer from the State of Play introduces us to a 26-year-old James. This isn't the usual, "I’ve seen it all" 007. This is Patrick Gibson playing a former Royal Navy aircrewman. He’s got the talent, but he lacks the polish (quite a bit of it). If he were a real person, he’d definitely be the guy at the office who accidentally CC’s the entire company on a private complaint, except his "complaints" involve C4 and high-speed chases in Iceland.
A Cast That Actually Makes Sense
Usually, when a game says they have a "star-studded cast," it’s one guy from a SITCOM you vaguely remember. Not here. They actually got Lenny Kravitz to play the villain, Bawma. He’s a black-market kingpin running a "ship graveyard" - which seems to be the coolest location for a boss fight since forever. If the final showdown doesn't involve some high-fashion sunglasses and a killer soundtrack, I’m going to be very disappointed.
Then you’ve got Lennie James (who we all know and love as Morgan from The Walking Dead) playing John Greenway. He’s a retired 00 agent who looks at young Bond the way Gordon Ramsay looks at a contestant trying to cook a steak in a toaster in Masterchef. It’s the classic "I’m too old for this" energy that really grounds the story. And of course, Priyanga Burford is stepping in as M, trying to keep the whole British government from face-palming every time James "improvises" a mission.
No It’s Not Just ‘Hitman’ With Hair
The big question everyone had was: "Is this just going to be a Hitman reskin?" The trailer basically shouted "No" while jumping off a bridge. While you can still do the sneaky, "incognito at a high-stakes auction" thing, there’s a massive emphasis on cinematic action.
The tech behind it is actually pretty wild. They’re using the Glacier engine to do things with "volumetric smoke" that supposedly haven't been done before. Basically, whenever you'll blow something up - which you will (a lot) - the smoke will drift and fill the room realistically. It’s the kind of detail that will probably make your PS5 fans sound like a jet engine, but hey, it looks sooo gorgeous.
The 009 Factor
For the people who actually know their Bond lore, there’s a spicy subplot involving a rogue 009. Usually, 009 is just the guy who gets taken out early in a movie to show how tough the bad guy is. This time, he’s the one causing the chaos. It’s a nice nod to the franchise without making casual players feel like they missed a homework assignment.
When Can You Actually Play It?
Mark May 27, 2026, on your calendar Bond fans. If you're unable to hold your horses, the Deluxe Edition (which you get as a free upgrade if you pre-order the standard $69.99 version) lets you jump in 24 hours early. It’s like a bit of a "pre-order tax," but for a game that looks this polished, it’s going to be pretty hard to resist.
At the end of the day, it looks like we’re finally getting a Bond game that cares as much about the "spy" part as it does about the 'shooting' and 'explosions' part. Just don't expect him to know how to order a martini yet - at this age, he’s probably just happy if the bar has a happy hour.