Intel Is Bundling Battlefield 6 For Free With These Core CPUs And Arc GPUs
The deal covers pretty much the entire modern Intel gaming lineup. On the CPU side, basically anything above the "3" level is included. That means Core i5, i7, and i9 chips stretching all the way back to the 13th Generation, plus the newer Core Ultra CPUs, all on both laptop and desktop. For graphics, all discrete Arc GPUs qualify—including both the original Arc A-series as well as the Xe2-based Arc B570 and B580 'Battlemage' GPUs. Systems including any of the above hardware are also valid for the promotion.
That's good news, because Battlefield 6 is shaping up to be the most technically polished entry in the series in years. Two public beta weekends already drew strong praise, with players calling the game a "throwback" to the series' golden era. Despite skipping fancy "current-gen" effects like ray-tracing and virtual geometry, DICE has managed to squeeze stunning visuals out of a pure rasterized renderer. Judging from hours and hours of beta weekend streams on Twitch and YouTube, the visuals look fantastic, and performance has proven to be stellar even on mid-range hardware.
There is one quirk worth noting: Battlefield 6 requires most of Windows' security features to be enabled, including Virtualization-Based Security and Secure Boot, thanks to its kernel-level anti-cheat. Most players won't notice since these features are standard on new systems, but it's worth noting for the DIY crowd who often disable these performance-sapping features to extract the absolute maximum speed from their system.
EA reportedly has sky-high expectations for Battlefield 6, forecasting up to 100 million concurrent players—a figure so lofty that even some inside DICE are reportedly skeptical. Optimism aside, early momentum suggests Battlefield 6 will at least launch on much steadier footing than its predecessor.
Intel's hardware is a good fit for the game, too. While AMD's latest 3D V-Cache CPUs still hold the performance crown for pure gaming thanks to their massive 3D V-Cache, Intel's Raptor Lake and Arrow Lake chips are still incredibly powerful CPUs, and the Arc GPUs should handle Battlefield 6's relatively uncomplicated DX12 renderer with ease. Bundling the game in is a smart sweetener as Intel looks to push both its CPUs and GPUs in the run-up to the holiday season.
Besides Battlefield 6, buyers also get a handful of creative software perks bundled in. Intel is tossing in subscriptions for tools like Canvid, VEGAS Pro 365, and the XSplit Premium Suite, together worth almost as much as the game itself. It's not quite as headline-grabbing as Battlefield, but for streamers, video editors, or anyone dabbling in content creation, it's a nice set of extras that extends the value of the promotion.
If you're keen to grab a system upgrade and a free copy of Battlefield 6 alongside, you'd better jump on the chance, because the promotion only runs from August 25 through September 14, with redemptions open until October 31. Codes for Battlefield 6 unlock on October 3, although the game isn't slated for release until the 10/10. Head to Intel's Software Offer site to read the full terms & conditions of the promotion.
