Intel's 'big Battlemage' GPU Did Not Appear At Ces But The Rumours... (2026)

G31 GPU shows up again, this time in an Intel driver package.

Intel's G31, the GPU otherwise expected to be known as the Intel Arc B770, is the rumoured graphics card that just won't die. It conspicuously did not appear at the CES show, but it's now been spotted in an Intel Panther Lake driver package, keeping hopes just barely alive.

As we understand it, somebody at the CES show rifled through the driver files of a laptop demo'ing Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 chip and found references to the increasingly mythical G31 GPU.

Someone downloaded the graphics driver for a Panther Lake laptop model and discovered that the folders include firmware for the BMG-G31Driver link: https://ftp[dot]hp[dot]com/pub/softpaq/sp165501-166000/sp165849.exe pic.twitter.com/S0Jr8v1AN2January 10, 2026

We have, of course, seen what feels like countless references to B770 or G31 over the past year or so. But the card stubbornly refuses to make an official appearance.

It could be that Intel has never been planning to release such a GPU for the consumer market, and all of these rumours and leaks are for nought. But if the B770 is real, why didn't it appear at CES?

There are a number of theories. One possible factor is the ongoing memory price crisis, and Intel may want RAM prices to stabilise before launching a new GPU.

Another possibility is that Intel didn't want to detract from its Panther Lake launch. That new CPU, which uses Intel's 18A node, is certainly more important than a new gaming GPU for Intel. So, perhaps Intel wanted all the attention on Panther Lake.

Yet another option is that Intel is still polishing the drivers for its biggest and most powerful gaming GPU yet. Ultimately, we just don't know and can only hope Intel does indeed release a new GPU.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Source: PC Gamer