The name’s Bond, James Bond, but the face’s new. Hitman developer IO Interactive has announced the voice for the iconic British spy in its upcoming 007: First Light video game, and it’s none other than Dexter: Origin Sin and Shadow and Bone star, Patrick Gibson.
The casting will mark the youngest on-screen portrayal of the character to date, who is 26 years old at the beginning of the origin-story adventure. Joining him are five other voice and motion capture actors set to depict both classic and new characters, including Priyanga Burford as M, Alastair Mackenzie as Q, Kiera Lester as Miss Moneypenny, Lennie James as Bond’s mentor, John Greenway, and Noemie Nakai as Miss Roth.
Speaking to IGN, narrative director Martin Emborg explained the rationale behind choosing a relatively fresh name for the MI6 agent, stating that Gibson brings “energy”, “very effectively”, to Bond:
“The way that works is less about looking for who becomes our Bond. Who can shoulder this young version of the character? And I think working with big names is a different exercise. It’s not finding the character as much as saying, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be cool if so-and-so were Bond?’ I don’t think that was super attractive at any point, actually.”
“He’s a very dynamic guy. It’s funny, when we’re working with the cinematic team, if you’re on a very long lens and he’s in the foreground, he moves a lot. He also has a great gravity to him. He is someone who can really bring a dramatic performance to life in the room; he just gives you goosebumps immediately. So there’s a great kind of balance between it being fun and games and then being able to switch into something that is pretty hardcore serious,” he added.
The reveal comes as part of a special State of Play presentation, which confirmed a 27 March 2026 release and showcased 36 minutes of gameplay featuring spycraft, combat, gadgets, and driving. It follows the MI6 agent as he embarks on two different missions: a covert operation at a high-stakes chess tournament in Slovakia, and a gala infiltration in Kensington, London.
Players are equipped with various skillsets at their disposal, comprising spycraft, described as a “toolkit for the quieter side of the job”; instinct, a limited resource that reflects Bond’s natural aptitude, such as luring guards and silver-tongued persuasion; gadgets from Q Branch that can be unlocked as they progress; and, of course, combat, which switches between precision gunplay and up-close brawls.
007 First Light will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC on 27 March 2026. The standard edition retails for US$69.99, while the Deluxe Edition costs US$79.99. There’s also the US$299.99 Specialist Edition, which includes the full game, the Deluxe Edition content, an exclusive Golden Gun weapon skin, the Obsidian Gold Suit outfit, a Golden Gun Figurine with Stand & Secret Compartment, a Certificate of Authenticity, and a Steel Case with Magnet.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
