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Analyst: "007 First Light opening sales aren't tracking well"

It looks like IO Interactive's new action-adventure game might get off to a slow start in terms of sales, but hopefully strong reviews will turn that around.
Jonas Mäki Editor Sweden 26 May 2026

It was recently revealed that TikTok star Khaby Lame appears in a brief scene in the newly released 007 First Light, which we reviewed today (spoiler: it's really good). However, this wasn't well-received by everyone, and many feel that it doesn't fit in at all and ruins part of the experience, even though, according to our reviewer, it's such a small part of the game that it's barely noticeable.

Be that as it may, well-known Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad now suggests there's a reason IO Interactive went the TikTok route. He writes on X that "opening sales aren't tracking well," which has led them to want to "market it in unique ways." The problem is that traditional advertising has only reached those who already like James Bond:

"They've run an old school marketing campaign so far that wasn't getting much traction outside of people who grew up with Bond."

He doesn't seem to think it will be a disaster, but believes that in the end it will turn out well, even if it won't be a Uncharted competitor, but more in line with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The latter sold quite well, but as we know, it's included with Game Pass Ultimate, which one might suspect has cost them quite a few direct sales.

https://x.com/ZhugeEX/status/2058986718213046687

Editor Sweden Jonas Mäki has written for Gamereactor since 2002, becoming an editor in 2007. He covers the video game industry across news, releases and the business side, with a particular interest in sales figures and where the industry is heading.
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