The upcoming game '007 First Light' will not support pre-download on any platform except for the PS5. This decision is seen as a measure to counter the recent string of illegal leaks that have plagued the North American gaming industry prior to releases.

IO Interactive announced via the online community Reddit that pre-download will not be available for PC (Steam) and Xbox platforms. Users on these platforms will only be able to download the game after its official release on the 27th. Due to Sony's policy, pre-download is mandatory, making it the only platform where players can get the game files before the official launch. Physical copies, regardless of platform, have already begun shipping, but they will be unplayable without the Day One patch that will be distributed at launch.

This move is believed to be closely linked to recent large-scale game leaks. Earlier, 'Forza Horizon 6' suffered an incident where a cracked version was leaked through an unencrypted pre-download file, more than a week before its official release. 'LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight' also had its files shared before launch, with a crack distributed on release day. The fact that even the physical package version is set to be unplayable without a Day One patch appears to be part of the decision to prevent leaks.

'007 First Light' has indeed become a prime target for illegal downloaders. Recently, pirates have been finding ways to bypass Denuvo protection, leading to a spate of cracked games immediately after their release. It appears the developers, despite the Forza developers' denials, have opted for enhanced security measures due to concerns about the vulnerability of pre-download files.