IO Interactive have confirmed that TikTok star Khaby Lame cameos in 007: First Light and James Bond fans are baffled.
READ MORE: Inside Lana Del Rey’s era-defining James Bond theme song ‘First Light’
Lame is the most-followed influencer on TikTok, typically reacting to over-complicated life hack videos with an exasperated gesture.
Over the weekend, game developers IO Interactive confirmed that he would appear in 007: First Light during a mission to Vietnam. “You will meet a familiar face,” they wrote on social media. “Khaby Lame joins the cast of 007: First Light and is part of a globetrotting adventure as James Bond sets out to earn the number.”
“We worked closely with Khaby to get him scanned and design his outfit for this re-imagined origin story,” they added. The accompanying clip sees Bond asking for directions, with Lame pointing at a nearby signpost.
You will meet a familiar face in Vietnam.
Khaby Lame joins the cast of 007 First Light and is part of a globetrotting adventure as James Bond sets out to #EarnTheNumber.
Pre-order now and get a Free Deluxe Edition Upgrade.https://t.co/TYuWmcA0nA@KhabyLame #007FirstLight… pic.twitter.com/j4bONVhvmx
— 007 First Light (@007GameIOI) May 25, 2026
“Forcing a generic TikTok influencer into a prestigious, classy franchise like James Bond? What a massive mismatch in tone. Bond is supposed to be about high-stakes espionage, grit, and smooth sophistication. Throwing a TikTok star in there just screams ‘corporate suits trying desperately to appeal to Gen Z’ and it completely ruins the immersion,” wrote one disgruntled fan. “What little interest I had in this game just completely evaporated,” said another.
Superstar DJ Dimitri Vegas and Chase and Status will also cameo in 007: First Light. “Their arrival lands in the middle of a packed club sequence, where Bond will have to navigate through lights, crowds and a sound system pushing one of the duo’s remixes at full volume. It’s a modern pop-culture touchstone that keeps Bond in step with the world around him,” explains a blog post about the crossover.
Lana Del Rey has teamed up with Bond composer David Arnold for the game’s theme song ‘First Light’ while Lenny Kravitz will be playing antagonist Bawma, The Pirate King in 007: First Light.
IO Interactive have also shared the first 13 minutes of 007: First Light after footage from the game leaked online.
In other news, Sony has quietly increased the cost of all three PlayStation Plus tiers after only confirming a price hike for the basic Essential package.