{"id":1597916,"date":"2026-06-04T19:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/Euh4nMDLCdaSwZT35NJDA3"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:00:08","slug":"we-have-a-great-relationship-with-io-interactive-amazon-says-but-it-wont-commit-to-bringing-the-studio-back-for-future-bond-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/we-have-a-great-relationship-with-io-interactive-amazon-says-but-it-wont-commit-to-bringing-the-studio-back-for-future-bond-games\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We have a great relationship with IO Interactive,’ Amazon says, but it won’t commit to bringing the studio back for future Bond games"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I was a bit surprised yesterday when Amazon Gaming general manager Jeff Gattis said that following the success of 007 First Light<\/a>, sequels will be “done by MGM<\/a> and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios,” suggesting that First Light developer IO Interactive may find itself relieved of its Bond burden. The game is pretty good<\/a>, and it’s a decent-sized hit<\/a> too\u2014so why burn any bridges, especially so soon after launch?<\/p>\n

In a statement provided to PC Gamer, though, an Amazon spokesperson said that’s not really the case at all\u2014although the company remains non-committal about what the future holds.<\/p>\n

“Amazon MGM holds the rights to any future James Bond videogames but it\u2019s still too early to discuss future projects,” the rep said. “We have a great relationship with IO Interactive and are proud of what we’ve accomplished together on 007 First Light. Our partners at IO will reveal more about 007 First Light in the near future and we\u2019re looking forward to sharing what\u2019s next.”<\/p>\n

It’s a bit of an odd situation: As the owner of the underlying IP, Amazon has “a stake” in 007 First Light, but IO Interactive self-published the game because its deal to make it was done years prior to Amazon’s 2025 acquisition of the Bond franchise.<\/p>\n

That’s left Amazon in a situation somewhat similar to that of Hasbro and Larian: A hit videogame has turned an aged and greying entertainment series into a hot property, and… now what? Larian’s complete disinterest in doing Baldur’s Gate 4 simplified the situation for Hasbro in that very limited regard\u2014don’t have to worry about dealing with the power behind the throne if they decide to just leave\u2014but IOI has shown no such inclination (unsurprisingly, since 007 First Light has only been out for a week) and now Amazon seems to be moving quickly to set expectations for the future.<\/p>\n

Another similarity between Hasbro and Amazon: Neither of them seem to have much idea what they’re doing in the videogame space. After years of fumbling the bag<\/a>, Hasbro announced a big new D&D game with Stig Asmussen’s Giant Skull studio, and then pulled the plug on it<\/a> less than a year later; shortly after that, CEO Chris Cocks bizarrely described the Mass Effect-like Exodus as “effectively D&D in space<\/a>,” which is sure not a comparison I would make. <\/p>\n

Amazon, meanwhile, made major layoffs in its games division<\/a> in 2025, cancelled multiple projects, and even called a halt to New World<\/a>, its not-unsuccessful MMO, as part of a refocus on its Luna cloud gaming platform.<\/p>\n

\n