007 First Light’s Title Sequence Was Built Before the Team Knew Lana Del Rey Was Singing
Territory Studio's creative leads said the team initially worked with placeholder music before learning who would perform the game's Bond theme.
The team behind 007 First Light‘s opening sequence did not know Lana Del Rey would perform the game’s theme when work began. Territory Studio’s creative director Chris Sharpe and chief creative officer Andrew Cockstone initially built the sequence around temporary music and abstract vocal material.
That secrecy meant the title-sequence artists had to shape the visual introduction without knowing the final singer. The approach still followed a familiar James Bond tradition, where the opening song and visuals establish the tone of the adventure while hiding clues for attentive viewers.
The Team Worked With Placeholder Music
In a making-of interview with the title-sequence creators, Sharpe explained that the team knew from the beginning that David Arnold was composing the score and that IO Interactive wanted a cinematic presentation. The early material, however, was not Lana Del Rey’s finished track.
Sharpe said the group received a rough score with abstract vocals that served as temporary audio. The team understood the ambition behind the sequence, but Lana Del Rey’s involvement stayed hidden for much of production.
That final reveal added another layer to an introduction designed to connect 007 First Light with the visual language of the Bond films. The game marked the franchise’s first console release in more than a decade and launched in May.
IO Interactive has since continued supporting the game with post-launch content. The first major update added new material to its TacSim mode, including two missions, fresh equipment, and a new outfit for Bond.
What do you think of Lana Del Rey’s Bond theme for 007 First Light? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
007 First Light
Developed by IO Interactive
Earn the Number. 007 First Light is a thrilling espionage action-adventure game from IO Interactive. Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6's training programme, and discover an origin story of the world’s most famous spy.
- Genre: Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2026-05-27
- Publisher: IO Interactive
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Age Rating:
ESRB T / PEGI 16 / GRAC 15+ / USK 18 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB M
