James Bond will meet social media influencer Khaby Lame in 007 First Light, developer IO Interactive has revealed.
It’s a reveal that has left some Bond fans scratching their heads — firstly that Lame is in the game at all, but also secondly that his cameo has been revealed ahead of the game’s general release — removing the element of surprise.
Lame is famous for his deadpan TikTok reaction videos, where he performs an exasperated gesture to mock things that seem obvious. Unsurprisingly, it’s this same gesture that Bond fans will be able to see Lame replicating in 007 First Light, as His Majesty’s agent asks for directions while standing in front of a signpost.
In a video clip posted to Instagram, players can see Bond wandering up to Lame, asking for directions, only for Lame to gesticulate at the sign — which already holds the answer. Come on Bond — one too many martinis?
“You will meet a familiar face in Vietnam,” IO Interactive wrote. “Khaby Lame joins the cast of 007 First Light and is part of a globetrotting adventure as James Bond sets out to #EarnTheNumber. We worked closely with Khaby to get him scanned and design his outfit for this re-imagined origin story.”
Responding to one Bond fan on social media asking why IO Interactive was highlighting this cameo ahead of time, video games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad suggested this reveal was meant to reach a different audience from traditional Bond fans, following a more traditional marketing campaign to date.
After rising to social media stardom over the past couple of years, Lame remains the most-followed user on TikTok. Beyond social media, Fortnite featured Lame in a 2023 battle pass, the same year he appeared as a judge on Italia’s Got Talent. He also popped up with a cameo appearance in 2024’s so-so Will Smith sequel Bad Boys: Ride or Die. In January of this year, Lame licensed his likeness to be reproduced by AI for $975 million.
Over the weekend, IO Interactive published a portion of the opening mission from 007 First Light after copies of the game leaked to the public days before launch. The game’s early access launch begins today, May 26, with its full release coming tomorrow, May 27.
Image credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social