Intel game bundle aims to boost Arrow Lake, Raptor Lake CPU sales — codes for Civ 7, AC: Shadows

Intel recently announced that publisher 2K would partner with it to launch its Intel Builder Bundle. This bundle now includes a copy of Firaxis-developed Sid Meier's Civilization VII alongside the previously bundled Assassin's Creed Shadows for purchasers of qualifying Intel desktop CPUs, namely 14th Generation Raptor Lake or Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake) CPUs.

Both bundled games are upcoming releases, with Civilization VII slated for a February 11 release and Civilization VII to release on March 20. The bundle itself will be redeemable on qualifying purchases made before March 31 until May 15, with games being provided as download codes on or after the release date, depending on the date of purchase.

As emphasized by Intel, Civilization VII will launch with day-one support for Intel XeSS upscaling and scheduling optimizations in collaboration with developer Firaxis Games for Intel Core and Intel Core Ultra CPUs. That and Intel's generally good gaming CPU performance (although AMD's Ryzen 9000X3D CPUs seem to take the gaming crown lately) should make Intel systems with this promo a pretty good choice for Civilization VII, especially for those whose much higher system requirements may push into upgrading.

Suppose you focus solely on gaming as a PC builder and hope to use this Civilization VII and Civilization VII bundle. We recommend opting for a 14th-generation CPU over an Intel Core 200S CPU. The Arrow Lake-based Intel Core Ultra 9 285K indicates a generational drop in gaming performance, which could make a 14th Generation Core i7 or Core i9 a much better choice for gaming-centric PC builders. At this point, chips like Core Ultra 9 285K only make sense for productivity-centric users despite being the newest from Intel.

In any case, those opting for a competitive Intel CPU covered with this bundle (14th Gen recommended) and with a mid-range modern GPU should have a pretty good gaming experience with these two bundled games upon release. If you were planning your next PC build around Intel and wanted these games anyway, acting before March 31 should be a nice way to save the additional $140 before taxes you'd be paying for both of those games standalone.