Updated 2 October 2026, 19:00
IO Interactive has rolled out the biggest post-launch package for 007 First Light so far. The free DLC update Extended Operations went live on October 1 as version 1.3.0 on all platforms, and every owner of the game gets it at no extra cost. The headline features are New Game+, Photo Mode, a brand new 00 difficulty, extra TacSim missions and more than 700 bug fixes and improvements.
007 First Light is the studio’s first original James Bond story, following a young Bond on his way to earning the 00 status. Since the May launch IO Interactive has been building the game out along the one-year roadmap it detailed in June – earlier patches added TacSim missions, weapons, outfits, technical upgrades including a path tracing update, and hundreds of fixes. Extended Operations goes further, because it is designed around giving you reasons to come back after the credits roll. We keep track of everything around the game in our 007 news hub.
New Game+ changes how you replay the campaign
Both of the big replay features unlock only after you finish the campaign. New Game+ then hands you far more freedom than your first run thanks to two systems:
- Mission Wardrobe – you can pick any outfit you already own in the Journal and wear it in any mission when you restart from a chosen checkpoint.
- Gadget on Demand – you can swap between currently unlocked gadgets mid-mission instead of waiting for the next chapter to rebuild your loadout.
Progression rules still apply, so you have to unlock Q’s gadgets in the campaign before you can bring them along.
00 difficulty is a big step up from Purist
The new 00 difficulty pulls in the opposite direction and sits noticeably above Purist. Enemies react faster and are more perceptive, some NPCs are swapped for tougher variants, and you get fewer gadget resources to work with. Combat is brutal too – you go down after two hits and the parry window is much narrower. On top of that, enemies can now shove you off a cliff, so positioning near ledges suddenly matters.
Five new TacSim missions and a weaponized Aston Martin Valhalla
Extended Operations expands TacSim with five new missions. Operation Jungle Heist sends Bond back to The Pearl Hotel in Vietnam to steal documents from a villa safe, and IO Interactive stresses replayability and a sandbox approach – there is more than one way to pull the job off.
The remaining four operations revolve around the Aston Martin Valhalla. The supercar comes fitted with machine guns and missile launchers, and the missions are timed driving trials where you use the car’s weapons and gadgets, including the score-based Valhalla Protocol run in Slovakia.
The update also adds two weapons – the Storm 12 Gauge and the Squire Marksman Rifle – plus new outfits: Observant Spy, Leisure Beam and First Class.
Over 700 fixes and a bulldog at MI6 HQ
The patch is also a serious technical cleanup. IO Interactive lists more than 700 fixes and improvements covering crashes, progression blockers, clipping, audio, localization, UI, achievements, camera behavior, AI and mission-specific problems. Weapon handling animations were reworked across reloads, aiming transitions, swaps and throws.
There is a small bonus as well: MI6 HQ now has Jack the Bulldog hanging around near TacSim, and yes, you can pet him. The studio says more improvements and content are already in development, so Extended Operations is not the end of post-launch support.
What it means for you
If you finished the campaign and shelved the game, this is the update that justifies a reinstall: a harder difficulty, outfit and gadget freedom in New Game+, five new TacSim missions and a Photo Mode for screenshots. If you are still mid-campaign, the main benefit is the stability and polish pass. 007 First Light is sold on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
FAQ
Nothing. It is a completely free DLC update for everyone who owns 007 First Light, delivered as version 1.3.0 on all platforms.
IO Interactive launched Extended Operations on October 1.
Both unlock only after you complete the campaign. After that you can start New Game+ with Mission Wardrobe and Gadget on Demand, or take on the tougher 00 difficulty.
It sits clearly above Purist. Enemies react faster, some NPCs are replaced by tougher variants, you have fewer gadget resources, you go down after two hits and the parry window is narrower. Enemies can also push you off a cliff.
Five missions. Operation Jungle Heist takes Bond back to The Pearl Hotel in Vietnam for a safe heist, and four further operations are timed driving trials with the armed Aston Martin Valhalla, including the score-based Valhalla Protocol run in Slovakia.
The Storm 12 Gauge and the Squire Marksman Rifle, plus the outfits Observant Spy, Leisure Beam and First Class.