2026 GOTY Contender Officially Sets Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date

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Published Oct 14, 2026, 4:56 PM EDT

Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List.

He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.

Bond, James Bond heads to Switch 2, Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027

007 First Light officially has a Nintendo Switch 2 release date

Image: IO Interactive

After several delays, young James Bond adventure 007 First Light finally has a firm release date for Nintendo Switch 2. The new release date follows months of uncertainty for the 007 game, which was released on consoles and PC back in May. Players on Switch 2 can expect to gallivant around the world while on the go with Nintendo's latest hardware starting March 18, 2027. And they'll get a GoldenEye-themed mea culpa for the long wait, developer IO Interactive announced Wednesday.

"The development team will use the coming months to continue refining the game's optimisation and performance on Nintendo Switch 2, ensuring it meets the standard players expect at launch," developer IO Interactive said in a news release announcing the release date.

IO Interactive's 007 First Light – Deluxe Edition will cost $69.99, and anyone who preorders will get early access to a spiffy new GoldenEye Suit. The Switch 2 version will also include shiny gold gadgets and four skins for Tacsim missions: Day of the Dead, Desert Explorer, Silent Anchor, and Gentleman Operator. The Amazon-exclusive 007 First Light – Specialist Edition will include an exclusive Classic Tuxedo skin for when you want Bond to look extra classy while shooting dudes. It will be on a game-key card, as is common for third-party games released physically on Switch 2.

007 First Light is one of 2026's best games

Bond shooting an SMG on a plane during 007 First Light.

007 First Light is a James Bond origin story as players take the secret agent through his 00 training and into his first real globe-trotting adventure. IO Interactive successfully reinvents the character while packing the game full of fun moments, like an action montage tutorial or a bow tie minigame. It's received great acclaim, and is one of the contenders for 2026's Game of the Year award.

007 First Light has had a long journey getting to the Nintendo Switch 2. It was delayed on Switch 2 a month before its May launch on other platforms (which came after the game had already been delayed once). Intended for a summer 2026 launch, it got hit with another delay last month to March 2027. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't get delayed any further.