According to information published by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DBC), the game's development cost approximately 1.3 billion Danish kroner, which is equivalent to 140.5 million US dollars. This figure only covers the development costs – marketing expenses are apparently not included in this amount. Given that IO Interactive self-published the game, the final budget, including the advertising campaign, could be significantly higher.
These same figures are also cited by the Danish TV channel TV 2, noting that in terms of cost, 007 First Light has become one of the most expensive projects in the history of the Danish entertainment industry, significantly surpassing other local games and media products.
According to DBC, the game's development took about seven years. However, this timeframe may not be entirely accurate. The official announcement of the project took place back in 2020, but at that time, the studio was likely only in the pre-production phase, as most of its resources were focused on completing work on Hitman 3. When full-scale development began is unknown.
Recall that 007 First Light sold over 1.5 million copies within the first 24 hours after its release. However, if estimated marketing costs are taken into account, analysts believe the game may need to sell at least three million copies to reach profitability.