- Primary Subject: 007 First Light
- Key Update: A lack of post-launch content and a delayed "Valhalla Protocol" update for the TacSim mode are causing severe drops in player count.
- Status: Confirmed / Opinion
- Last Verified: July 13, 2026
- Quick Answer: Players are leaving 007 First Light because IO Interactive is taking too long to release post-launch content despite teasing updates over a month ago.
The release of 007 First Light back in May was a huge success, with the game receiving worldwide plaudits and selling over 3 million copies within less than two weeks, making it the fastest-selling title in IO Interactive's history.
Our very own Editor-in-Chief, Alister Kennedy, gave 007 First Light a perfect 10/10 score in his review, calling it the best James Bond video game ever made. I agreed with that sentiment, describing it as a masterpiece and a true love letter to the Bond franchise.
While all of the praise was, without a doubt, well deserved, IOI's approach to the game's post-launch roadmap is arguably now holding it back, with new updates and fresh content nowhere to be seen.
What's Happening With 007 First Light?
007 First Light had over 71,000 players on Steam alone at launch, but its current inability to reach anything over 6,000 tells a rather concerning story that also extends to consoles.
Although the game's single-player campaign initially did a good job at keeping players entertained for several hours, the question on everyone's minds was: how is that interest going to be maintained?
Well, the answer seemed to lie with TacSim, an additional mode which acts as an endgame sandbox where you replay remixed campaign areas with randomized modifiers, specific objectives, and escalating difficulty tiers to unlock new outfits, gadgets, and weapon upgrades.
While the concept appeared promising at first, it was bare-bones upon release and still is today, with IOI failing to deliver adequate content updates over the past two months. In June, IO Interactive revealed an extensive post-launch roadmap for TacSim, including new challenges, gadget upgrades, gameplay scenarios, and much more.
Yet, several weeks later, the mode so far remains untouched, with content limited to what was available when 007 First Light released. IO Interactive says it's committed to evolving the First Light experience, with regular Tactical Simulation updates designed to keep players engaged throughout the year and beyond, but right now, that statement is being brought into question.
The Valhalla Protocol update for TacSim has been listed as "Coming soon" for over a month, and fans are understandably growing frustrated over the lack of communication from developers. This has and continues to play a massive part in the dwindling player count, highlighting that many are swiftly ditching the game and moving on to something else.
Of course, the arrival of new content will bring some of those players back, if and when it drops. However, it does feel like IOI has missed the trick by not releasing updates a lot sooner while hype was still going strong. Instead, it's looking increasingly likely they'll fail to retain anything close to the numbers 007 First Light once had.
With Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced available now and GTA 6 on the horizon, you do get the sense that IO Interactive needs to act fast or risk getting left behind. As we've already seen, players won't stick around forever, and interest will inevitably fade.
The Hitman franchise has got a solid track record when it comes to post-launch support, with content updates dropping on a regular basis and successfully maintaining a healthy player count. You would assume - and hope - First Light will eventually receive the same level of attention.
Unfortunately, we don't quite have all the time in the world on this occasion.
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