March 02, 2026

Google Cloud release notes for March 2026 covering major updates across Compute Engine, GKE, Vertex AI, and data services.

• •Compute Engine now supports compact placement policies for standalone Flex-start VMs in GA, minimizing network hops for latency-sensitive workloads
• •Dataflow adds GA support for C4A Arm-based machine series, optimized for power efficiency and improved price-performance
• •Gemini 3.1 Flash Image (gemini-3.1-flash-image) enters public preview with high-quality image generation at improved pricing and latency
• •BigQuery will limit legacy SQL usage effective June 1, 2026, based on usage patterns between November 2025 and June 2026
• •GKE version 1.34.3-gke.1318000 becomes the new default for cluster creation across Regular and Extended channels with multiple new versions available
• •Cortex Framework adds Airflow v3 compatibility and upgrades Meta API from v21 to v25