Q Branch Gadgets

Q Branch is MI6's gadget research division and the in-fiction source of every gadget Bond uses in 007 First Light. The branch is led by Q, portrayed by Alastair Mackenzie, and operates out of the Malta training facility for early-campaign hand-offs and from MI6 Headquarters for the rest of the game. The gadget loadout system runs on a strict three-gadget-per-mission selection rule.

Three Gadgets Per Mission

Before each mission with a Q Branch loadout terminal, Bond selects up to three gadgets from the unlocked catalog. The selection becomes the mission's tool kit; Bond cannot swap gadgets mid-mission. Different missions support different terminal access, but the three-slot ceiling holds throughout the campaign. The constraint is the design's lever for forcing players to commit to a stealth, combat, or hybrid plan.

Full Gadget Catalog

Q-Lens Detail

The Q-Lens is the always-available recon overlay. It is not a slot-limited gadget; activating it consumes a small Focus resource that regenerates over time. Through walls, the overlay highlights enemies, conversation hotspots, hackable devices, environmental kill setups (chandelier supports, fire extinguishers, gas valves), patrol routes, and pickpocketable items. The Q-Lens is the player's primary tool for situational planning before a stealth approach.

Q-Watch Detail

Bond's Q-Watch is modeled on an Omega Seamaster chronograph and is the in-fiction Q Branch product placement vehicle for the watch brand. In gameplay, it is a hacking tool. The Q-Watch can:

• Disable security cameras for a 45-second window without triggering an alarm

• Trigger chandelier drops, burst gas valves, short out electronics, and other environmental kills

• Defuse grenades thrown by enemies (linked to the "Damp Squib" trophy)

• Hack alarm panels and unlock electronic doors

• Force-detonate enemy explosives in mid-air

Laser Strap Detail

The Laser Strap is a concealed wrist accessory that emits a directed energy beam. Square is the default activation button on PlayStation. It cuts wires (ziplines, supports holding objects above NPCs), severs metal-shell padlocks, opens some doors, and dazes opponents briefly. Sustained use opens a window for a melee finisher. The Laser Strap also unlocks several combat-style trophies including "Disarming Personality" for disarming an armed enemy mid-fight.

Dart Phone Detail

The Dart Phone looks and rings like an ordinary smartphone but fires tranquilizer darts. Darts can be aimed at enemies (briefly disorienting them and creating a pickpocket window) or at environmental objects (luring enemies toward a chosen location). The Dart Phone is the quietest combat option in the catalog. Selecting it over the Laser Strap means Bond must kick down locked doors instead of slicing them, with the noise risk that implies.

Shockwave Camera Detail

Unlocked after Chapter 6, the Shockwave Camera looks like a vintage SLR. Pressing the trigger emits a concussive shockwave that pushes enemies away from Bond and shatters breakable cover, locked doors, and lighter environmental obstructions. Its primary tactical use is creating an escape lane when stealth fails and Bond needs to repositon.

Flash Mine Detail

The Flash Mine is a proximity-detonated trap that flashes and damages anyone within range. Bond places it on a surface (floor, wall, ceiling) and waits. Best deployed at choke points or pulled enemy patrols. The mine pairs naturally with bluffs that draw guards through a doorway.

Missile Pen Detail

The Missile Pen is unlocked partway through Chapter 7 (Knightfall) and is the most overtly destructive gadget in the catalog. Each pen body holds a single guided micro-missile capable of destroying armored enemies, breakable walls, and reinforced environmental cover. It is the go-to tool for the late-campaign combat-heavy encounters.

Smoke Pod Detail

The Smoke Pod is the obligatory escape-route gadget. Throw it and a cloud of concealing smoke blooms outward. Enemies inside the cloud lose line of sight, breaking active alerts. Smoke Pods pair naturally with Laser Strap door cutting or Dart Phone pickpocketing under the cloud.

Combat-Style Trophies Linked to Gadgets

In-Fiction Framing

Q Branch is part of MI6's institutional weight. Q is portrayed as a working engineer rather than a stage prop. Gadget hand-offs happen in dedicated terminals at the Malta facility, at MI6 Headquarters, and at deployable field cases supplied by Moneypenny. Some gadgets carry brand placement (the Q-Watch's Omega Seamaster body, Coca-Cola can prototypes in early demos) but the gadget functionality is presented as Q Branch engineering rather than marketing copy.

Gadgets in Tactical Simulation Mode

The same gadget catalog carries into Tactical Simulation Mode, but there it is unlocked through the mode's own progression rather than the story. Gadgets, suits, weapons, and upgrades are bought with Intel earned in TacSim runs, and some are gated behind a minimum Clearance level. The Missile Pen, for example, cannot be purchased for TacSim until Clearance Level 15.

Related Articles

• Q

• Q-Lens

• Q-Watch

• Laser Strap

• Dart Phone

• Shockwave Camera

• Flash Mine

• Missile Pen

• Smoke Pod

• Combat System

• Stealth and Bluff System