According to GameSpot, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak confirmed his James Bond game “007: First Light” is complete and launches March 27, 2026, while GTA 6 has been delayed from May 26, 2026 to November 19, 2026. Abrak admitted “it would be a lie not to say that obviously spring looks really good” for his game now that GTA 6 moved further away. Despite the competitive relief, he argued GTA 6 could sell 40 million copies and generate over $3 billion in its first year while bringing lapsed gamers back to the industry. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot similarly believes GTA 6 will be a “rising tide lifting all ships,” though industry expert Joost van Dreunen calls this view “naive.” Abrak also revealed IO fully self-funded the six-year James Bond project using Hitman series profits rather than taking external funding.
The rising tide theory
Here’s the thing about blockbuster games like GTA 6 – they really do operate differently than most entertainment products. When a game this massive drops, it doesn’t just compete for attention. It actually creates attention. Casual gamers who haven’t touched a controller in years suddenly get interested again. Friends start talking about gaming at work. Media coverage explodes beyond the usual gaming press.
And that’s exactly what Abrak and Guillemot are banking on. They’re essentially arguing that GTA 6 will be so culturally significant that it brings people back into the gaming ecosystem. Once those lapsed players finish GTA 6, they might look around for what else is new. That’s where games like 007: First Light could benefit.
But is it really that simple?
Now, van Dreunen has a point too. Can one game really solve the industry’s deeper issues? I’m skeptical. We’ve seen massive releases before that didn’t exactly create lasting benefits for the broader market. Remember when everyone thought Cyberpunk 2077 would revitalize RPGs? Or when Call of Duty releases were supposed to boost all shooters?
The reality is more complicated. GTA 6 will absolutely dominate the conversation and consumer spending for months. That might actually hurt smaller titles releasing around the same window. But games coming out six months earlier? They might genuinely benefit from the renewed interest in gaming as a whole.
The self-funding advantage
What’s really interesting here is IO’s decision to fully self-fund their James Bond project. That’s becoming increasingly rare in an industry where external funding and publisher deals dominate. By using profits from the Hitman series, IO maintains complete creative control and doesn’t have investors breathing down their neck about release dates or monetization strategies.
Basically, they can afford to take their time and make the game they want to make. And in today’s gaming landscape, that independence is incredibly valuable. It’s the kind of strategic positioning that helps companies weather industry ups and downs without being at the mercy of market trends.
The perfect release window
So where does this leave us? IO now has what looks like the ideal scenario. Their James Bond game launches in March 2026, gets eight months to establish itself, build a community, and generate revenue. Then when GTA 6 drops in November, they’re already established rather than trying to launch into that hurricane.
It’s smart positioning. And it shows that in the gaming industry, timing isn’t just about when your game is ready – it’s about when the market is ready for your game. With GTA 6 now creating a massive wave in late 2026, IO gets to ride the buildup without getting crushed by the impact.
