007 First Light Free Extended Operations DLC Adds New Game+, Photo Mode and 00 Difficulty

Bond finally gets his Aston Martin Valhalla. IO Interactive has released Extended Operations, the first major free DLC for 007 First Light, and it brings New Game+, Photo Mode, a brutal new 00 difficulty and fresh TacSim content to everyone who owns the game.

It arrives as part of Update 1.3.0, which IOI says also includes more than 700 fixes and improvements. The studio says those fixes cover crashes, progression blockers, clipping, audio, localization and UI, and that they were driven by player reports and support tickets since the game launched in May.

New Game+ and the 00 Difficulty

New Game+ unlocks once you’ve finished the full campaign. It lets you replay the story with any outfit you’ve earned, which you can swap from your journal at any point, and it opens up gadget flexibility. You can change gadgets mid-mission instead of waiting for the next chapter, though only gadgets unlocked at that point in the story are available, so Q’s toys still arrive in order.

The 00 difficulty is the real test. IOI calls it the hardest way to play 007 First Light. Enemies spot you faster and hit harder, and resources only restore a fraction of your gadget usage. Like New Game+, it only unlocks after you complete the campaign.

Valhalla Protocol and the Jungle Heist

TacSim, the game’s training simulation, gets two new pieces of content. Valhalla Protocol puts you behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Valhalla, kitted out with machine guns and missile launchers, on the roads of Slovakia. It’s a score-chasing driving activity, so expect leaderboard-style runs rather than a story mission.

Jungle Heist is a new TacSim Operation that sends you back to The Pearl Hotel in Vietnam to steal documents from a villa safe. IOI says every attempt will play out differently, so you’ll need to adapt each time rather than memorize one route.

There’s new gear too. The Storm 12 Gauge shotgun unlocks at Clearance Level 20 for 6,000 Intel, and the Squire Marksman Rifle at Clearance Level 18 for 4,000 Intel. Three new TacSim outfits are free once you hit the right Clearance Level: Observant Spy, Leisure Beam and First Class.

Photo Mode, Jack the Bulldog and Smoother Gunplay

Photo Mode is in, with camera settings, overlays, filters, effects and poses. Given how good this game looks, expect your social feeds to fill up with moody Bond shots this week.

Weapon handling animations have been refined across the arsenal, so reloads, aim transitions, weapon swaps and throws should feel smoother. Bond can also now be thrown off ledges, just like his enemies. IOI’s own words: that seemed only fair.

There’s also a new resident at MI6 HQ. Jack the Bulldog now sits near Dr. Selina Tan’s TacSim area, and yes, you can pet him.

Grey Standard Outfit and Steam Autumn Sale

If you link your game to an IOI Account before 1 November, you’ll unlock The Grey Standard outfit. There’s also a Twitch Drop called One More running until 16 October.

The timing lines up with IOI’s Steam Autumn Sale, which knocks up to 30% off 007 First Light from 1 to 8 October. Switch 2 owners are still waiting, since that version was delayed to March 2027.

My take: this is the update that should have been there at launch, but I’m glad it’s free. New Game+ with outfit swaps and gadget freedom is exactly what a stealth sandbox like this needs, and the 00 difficulty gives veterans a reason to go back. If you finished First Light over the summer and shelved it, this is the moment to dust it off.