Google Cloud release notes for February 2026 cover updates across GKE, Gemini, Vertex AI, BigQuery, Spanner, and other services.
•GKE (2026-R8) updates default cluster versions across Rapid, Regular, Stable, and Extended channels, with new auto-upgrade targets for minor and patch versions.
•Gemini 3.1 Flash Image is now available in public preview, offering high-quality image generation with improved pricing and latency.
•BigQuery will restrict legacy SQL usage starting June 1, 2026, based on usage patterns between November 2025 and June 2026.
•Cortex Framework 6.3.4 adds Airflow v3 support for all Composer DAGs and upgrades Meta API from v21 to v25.
•Cloud Trace now supports configuring default settings for observability buckets including location and Cloud KMS key, available in public preview.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) - Release notes