James Bond Developer Responds to GTA 6 Delay and Explains Why the Game Benefits the Industry

IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman franchise, has shared its perspective on Rockstar Games’ decision to delay Grand Theft Auto 6. The highly anticipated open-world title has been pushed from its original May 2026 release window to November 2026.

The delay creates additional space for IO Interactive’s upcoming game, 007: First Light, which is scheduled to launch on March 27, 2026. Prior to Rockstar’s announcement, the two releases were set to arrive within roughly two months of each other.

Speaking in a recent interview, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak acknowledged that the revised release calendar benefits the studio’s James Bond project. He noted that the spring release window now looks significantly more favorable following GTA 6’s move to late 2026.

Despite the added breathing room, Abrak stressed that GTA 6 should be viewed as a positive force for the industry. According to him, a release of that magnitude has the potential to bring lapsed players back into gaming, which could have a wider ripple effect across the market.

He explained that renewed engagement from returning players often benefits multiple releases, not just the biggest one. In his view, a major launch like GTA 6 can help elevate interest in games overall rather than overshadow smaller titles.

That sentiment is not universally shared. Some analysts have argued that while GTA 6 will almost certainly be a massive commercial success, it is unrealistic to expect a single release to resolve the broader challenges currently facing the games industry.

007: First Light has reached full playability

Abrak also confirmed that 007: First Light has reached a key development milestone. The game is now fully playable from beginning to end, with the development team shifting its focus to polishing, optimization, and bug fixing.

The project has been in development for nearly six years, and Abrak described reaching this stage as a major achievement for the studio. Remaining work is centered on refining the experience ahead of launch.

IO Interactive has also confirmed that 007: First Light was entirely self-funded using revenue generated from the Hitman series. While the studio is working closely with the James Bond rights holders, the project did not rely on external funding.

In addition to the Bond title, IO Interactive is developing a separate multiplayer fantasy project. Abrak indicated that the studio is collaborating with partners on that game, though no further details were shared.