Intel’s Arc Celestial “Xe3” & Battlemage “G31” GPUs Unveiled: A Strong Push into the Discrete Graphics Market

Rumors about Intel leaving the discrete GPU market are gradually vanishing as new evidence of its upcoming Arc Celestial “Xe3” and high-end Battlemage “G31” chips surfaces online.

Intel has recently revealed its Battlemage B-Series lineup, showcasing the Arc B580 and Arc B570 graphics cards, targeted at mainstream gaming enthusiasts. With prices aimed under $250, these cards are set to compete with both current and future GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA.

Intel’s strategy with the Arc Battlemage series clearly fixates on capturing the broader gaming audience, a move similarly anticipated from AMD’s forthcoming RDNA 4 “Radeon RX 8000” lineup. However, Intel seems to have a few surprises up its sleeve.

A fascinating tweet by Tomasz Gawroński highlighted a significant shipment believed to be related to the Battlemage G31 from Malaysia, hinting at the potential emergence of a high-end B-Series graphics card.

According to recent shipping logs from NBD.ltd, the BMG-G31 SoC has reappeared, sparking speculation about an imminent release of a more advanced B-Series offering. While the B580 and B570 GPUs feature BMG-G21 SoCs, the G31 variant promises more Xe2 cores and might be part of future models like the B770. Intel’s Tom Petersen has even hinted at a more powerful Arc B-series card, suggesting the G31 chip might find its way into these discrete products.

In further exciting developments, listings related to the “Panther Falls” discrete GPUs—an internal term for Celestial SKUs—have appeared, revealing several models from the Arc series. As noted by Twitter user @Haze2K1, Intel confirms that work on the Celestial Xe3 architecture is complete, with teams now driving towards the development of the Druid “Xe4” lineup.

A tweet from Haze provided additional insights, indicating Intel’s new strategic directions and affirming that a C-Series of discrete graphics cards is under development, along with Intel Alchemist and Battlemage series.

Moreover, Tomasz Gawroński also spotted an Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPU, possibly a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 model, bolstering speculation that Intel’s Panther Lake CPUs will feature Arc Xe3 GPUs with up to 12 Xe3 cores, hinting at a potential entry-level discrete option.

These unfolding developments are enough to dismiss recent rumors about the Arc project being shelved. With the launch of its second-generation Arc products and confirmation of subsequent lineups, Intel appears poised to introduce even more high-end options within the Battlemage GPU line. Anticipation builds for CES 2025, where Intel is expected to further detail its discrete GPU plans, with the B580 and B570 cards potentially strengthening Intel’s position in the mainstream segment.

The future looks promising for Intel’s GPU endeavor, as its strategic releases unfold with crucial developments and competitive pricing aimed at engaging a broader gaming community.