Photography by Chris Bucher

New Delhi, August 1, 2023 – Microsoft today announced Puneet Chandok’s appointment as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India and South Asia. Effective September 1, 2023, he will assume the operational responsibilities from Anant Maheshwari.

Supported by a strong leadership team, Puneet will oversee the integration of Microsoft’s businesses across South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, further boosting the company’s presence in the region, while deepening its focus on key industries through a customer-centric approach with generative AI at its core.

“We are delighted to announce that Puneet will be joining Microsoft India,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia. “Puneet has a strong track record of building and growing technology businesses and leveraging technology to deliver impact and change. As we embrace an AI-led future, Puneet’s leadership will play a vital role in ensuring Microsoft’s ongoing success in South Asia, and I extend my thanks to Anant Maheshwari for setting us on a growth path.”

Commenting on his appointment, Puneet Chandok said, “I am inspired by Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As India expands its own digital public infrastructure, I believe that this mission is more relevant here than ever before, and I am thrilled to be joining the One Microsoft team to make this mission a reality.”

“It has been a privilege to participate in Microsoft India’s remarkable growth over the last seven years,” said Anant Maheshwari. “I am filled with gratitude for an exceptionally talented team with a strong set of leaders driving this momentum. The Microsoft India team has created a strong foundation of trust and entrepreneurial business models.”

Puneet’s appointment comes at a time of continued market expansion for Microsoft as a leader in cloud technology and digital innovation. With the largest partner ecosystem globally, including a 17,000 strong network in India generating high cloud revenue, and new investments in local infrastructure including the intent to establish a new data center in Hyderabad, Microsoft’s growth aligns with India’s emergence as a global innovation hub.  Microsoft remains deeply committed to serving the market with transformative digital technology, to power India’s economic progress and its inclusive growth agenda.

Puneet joins Microsoft from AWS, where he led the company’s India and South Asia business, working closely with enterprises, digital businesses, startups, and SMBs to help them reduce technical debt, bring in agility, and innovate. Prior to this, Puneet was a Partner at McKinsey in India and Asia, and also held senior regional and global roles in IBM. Puneet holds a master’s in business administration (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, a bachelor’s degree in commerce, and diplomas in Computer Programming, Networking, and High-level Computer Systems.

About Microsoft India

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 20,000 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research, development, customer support, and industry solutions across 10 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, and Pune. Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian startups, businesses, and government organizations.

Maintaining security across today’s vast digital ecosystem is a team effort. AI and machine learning have helped to detect threats quickly and respond effectively. Yet we all know that the best defense still requires human wisdom and experience. From a frontline security operations admin to the chief information security officer (CISO), every one of us brings a unique perspective that helps achieve our common purpose—to protect what matters.
As the threat surface increases with remote and hybrid work, security professionals are being asked to protect more with less. Tight budgets and timelines often leave little time to share knowledge, grow skills, or nurture the next generation of defenders.
That’s why I’m proud to announce a new annual security event designed to empower our community—join us on March 28, 2023, for Microsoft Secure. Register today.
I’m continuously awed and humbled by the ingenuity and dedication shown by cyber defenders at every level of our partner and customer ecosystem. The first iteration of Microsoft Secure will kick off an annual event designed to build on that spirit of ingenuity. Technology helps our security professionals do more, and it’s always powered by people­­—the quietly fearless security professionals who make everything possible and the CISOs in boardrooms fielding security questions from colleagues. Microsoft Secure is for you.
Microsoft Secure will kick off at 8:30 AM PT with conversations on the state of the industry between Microsoft leaders helping to deliver the products security teams use daily. I have the honor of delivering this year’s keynote, along with Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Security, and we will share insights on how an AI-powered future in cybersecurity can create a safer world for all—you won’t want to miss this. Other speakers joining me include Joy Chik, President, Identity and Network Access, Microsoft, Bret Arsenault, Corporate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Microsoft, and and John Lambert, Corporate Vice President, Distinguished Engineer, Microsoft Security Research.
Innovation sessions highlighting our latest product updates across security, compliance, identity, management, and privacy will follow our keynotes. And around midday, you can attend breakout sessions, hands-on workshops, and product deep dives organized around four themes:
For more interactive learning, join these live-open discussions and engagement opportunities, including Ask the Experts, Table Topics, and Connection Zone forums. Plus, our team will provide insights and answers to your questions in the event chat in real-time throughout the day.  
Deep dive with your peers into six hours of fresh announcements, innovations, and comprehensive security strategies. By joining our very first Microsoft Secure, you’ll:  
Join us at Microsoft Secure to get the simplified, comprehensive protection you need to innovate and grow. Together, let’s create a safer world for all.
Register now for Microsoft Secure.
To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and Twitter (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.
Matt Suiche of Magnet Forensics talks about top security threats for organizations and strategies for effective incident response.
Identity-based attacks are on the rise, making identity protection more important than ever. Explore our blog post to learn how Microsoft’s Identity Threat Detection and Response can help.
Business email operators seek to exploit the daily sea of email traffic to lure victims into providing financial and other sensitive business information.
Learn how guessing, replay, phishing, and multifactor authentication fatigue attacks demonstrate the ongoing vulnerability of passwords, and why going passwordless makes your organization more secure while improving user experience.
Microsoft is a leader in cybersecurity, and we embrace our responsibility to make the world a safer place.

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June 29, 2023 | Microsoft News Center

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — June 29, 2023 — Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced a new strategic partnership to deliver next-generation data, analytics, research, collaboration and risk solutions for financial services and global knowledge workers. Built on a combination of Moody’s robust data and analytical capabilities and the power and scale of Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, the partnership creates innovative offerings that enhance insights into corporate intelligence and risk assessment, powered by Microsoft AI and anchored by Moody’s proprietary data, analytics, and research.
Strategic Partnership Highlights
Rob Fauber, president and chief executive officer of Moody’s Corporation, said, “Generative AI represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance how companies navigate the ever-evolving world of exponential risk. By combining Microsoft’s cutting-edge AI capabilities with our proprietary data, research and analytics, Moody’s is positioned to lead the next generation of risk analysis, helping our customers make better decisions by unlocking deeper, more integrated, and unmatched perspectives on risk. We have activated our 14,000 global employees to drive unprecedented experimentation and ignite new innovations across our suite of products and solutions.  We are excited to partner with Microsoft to set the standard for how generative AI will pioneer new advancements across our industry.”
Unlocking Advancements in Integrated Risk Analysis
A new copilot tool for customers, “Moody’s Research Assistant” will unlock the full potential of Moody’s resources and solutions to provide customers with a multifaceted view of risk. Built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and available through multiple channels, including Microsoft Teams, Moody’s Research Assistant will quickly compile and summarize complex information from multiple data sources, all in a safe and secure environment that protects private and proprietary information. Among its many anticipated uses will be the ability to generate custom, detailed analyses of a company or sector by seamlessly combining data from across multiple dimensions – such as firmographic data, credit indicators, economic forecasts, and risk and reputational profiles – to provide fast, contextual and informative answers based on the integration of expansive LLMs and Moody’s industry-leading data, analytics and research.
Bill Borden, corporate vice president of worldwide financial services at Microsoft said, “Our partnership will bring together world-class insights from Moody’s with the capabilities, trust and breadth of Microsoft Cloud — including Azure OpenAI Service, Fabric and Teams — to enable next-gen solutions that will unlock powerful business intelligence and transform productivity and collaboration. We look forward to the new opportunities and value this will bring to employees and firms across banking, capital markets and insurance as well as those in other industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation and utilities.”
Enhancing Moody’s Collaboration and Productivity through Microsoft Teams
Additionally, through the partnership, Moody’s will leverage Microsoft Teams to create a new collaboration, productivity and communication platform for its knowledge workers and customers. With the integration of Moody’s copilot tools, Teams will automate and streamline manual workflows, provide more efficient access to data and content, and synthesize and summarize information from across multiple data sets, resulting in better insights, improved productivity and compliance, and enhanced employee and customer experiences.
Collaborating to Enhance the New Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft and Moody’s will collaborate on the opportunity to deliver data to their shared customers through Microsoft Fabric, a new end-to-end data analytics platform. Microsoft Fabric includes technologies like Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, and Power BI in a single unified product, allowing data engineers opportunity to easily connect and curate data from multiple sources, eliminating sprawl, while better governing data across the entire organization.
ABOUT MOODY’S CORPORATION
Moody’s (NYSE: MCO) is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions. Its data, analytical solutions and insights help decision-makers identify opportunities and manage the risks of doing business with others. We believe that greater transparency, more informed decisions, and fair access to information open the door to shared progress. With approximately 14,000 employees in more than 40 countries, Moody’s combines international presence with local expertise and over a century of experience in financial markets.
ABOUT MICROSOFT
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @Microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
“SAFE HARBOR” STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause genuine results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Moody’s is identifying certain factors that could cause genuine results to differ, perhaps materially, from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. Those factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the impact of current economic conditions, including capital market disruptions, inflation and related monetary policy actions by governments in response to inflation, on worldwide credit markets and on economic activity, including on the volume of mergers and acquisitions, and their effects on the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government initiatives and monetary policy to respond to the current economic climate, including instability of financial institutions, credit quality concerns, and other potential impacts of volatility in financial and credit markets; the global impact of the Russia – Ukraine military conflict on volatility in world financial markets, on general economic conditions and GDP in the U.S. and worldwide, on global relations and on the Company’s own operations and personnel; other matters that could affect the volume of debt and other securities issued in domestic and/or global capital markets, including regulation, increased utilization of technologies that have the potential to intensify competition and accelerate disruption and disintermediation in the financial services industry, as well as the number of issuances of securities without ratings or securities which are rated or evaluated by non-traditional parties; the level of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. and abroad; the uncertain effectiveness and possible collateral consequences of U.S. and foreign government actions affecting credit markets, international trade and economic policy, including those related to tariffs, tax agreements and trade barriers; the impact of MIS’s withdrawal of its credit ratings on countries or entities within countries and of Moody’s no longer conducting commercial operations in countries where political instability warrants such action; concerns in the marketplace affecting our credibility or otherwise affecting market perceptions of the integrity or utility of independent credit agency ratings; the introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies; pricing pressure from competitors and/or customers; the level of success of new product development and global expansion; the impact of regulation as an NRSRO, the potential for new U.S., state and local legislation and regulations; the potential for increased competition and regulation in the EU and other foreign jurisdictions; exposure to litigation related to our rating opinions, as well as any other litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries to which Moody’s may be subject from time to time; provisions in U.S. legislation modifying the pleading standards and EU regulations modifying the liability standards applicable to credit rating agencies in a manner adverse to credit rating agencies; provisions of EU regulations imposing additional procedural and substantive requirements on the pricing of services and the expansion of supervisory remit to include non-EU ratings used for regulatory purposes; uncertainty regarding the future relationship between the U.S. and China; the possible loss of key employees and the impact of the global labor environment; failures or malfunctions of our operations and infrastructure; any vulnerabilities to cyber threats or other cybersecurity concerns; the timing and effectiveness of our restructuring programs, such as the 2022 – 2023 Geolocation Restructuring Program; currency and foreign exchange volatility; the outcome of any review by controlling tax authorities of Moody’s global tax planning initiatives; exposure to potential criminal sanctions or civil remedies if Moody’s fails to comply with foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that are applicable in the jurisdictions in which Moody’s operates, including data protection and privacy laws, sanctions laws, anti-corruption laws, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials; the impact of mergers, acquisitions, such as our acquisition of RMS, or other business combinations and the ability of Moody’s to successfully integrate acquired businesses; the level of future cash flows; the levels of capital investments; and a decline in the demand for credit risk management tools by financial institutions. These factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s genuine results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Moody’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s genuine results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. New factors may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict new factors, nor can the Company assess the potential effect of any new factors on it. Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address our corporate responsibility progress, plans, and goals (including sustainability and environmental matters), and the inclusion of such statements is not an indication that these contents are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.
For more information:
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]
Moody’s Investor Relations, Shivani Kak, (212) 553, 0298, [email protected]
Moody’s Communications, Michael Adler, (212) 553-4667, [email protected]
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Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI apps such as ChatGPT and Bard, have dominated the news cycle since they became widely available starting in November 2022. GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is often used to generate text trained on large volumes of text data.

Undoubtedly impressive, gen AI has composed new songs, created images and drafted emails (and much more), all while raising legitimate ethical and practical concerns about how it could be used or misused. However, when you introduce the concept of gen AI into the operational technology (OT) space, it brings up significant questions about potential impacts, how to best test it and how it can be used effectively and safely. 

Impact, testing, and reliability of AI in OT

In the OT world, operations are all about repetition and consistency. The goal is to have the same inputs and outputs so that you can predict the outcome of any situation. When something unpredictable occurs, there’s always a human operator behind the desk, ready to make decisions quickly based on the possible ramifications — particularly in critical infrastructure environments.

In Information technology (IT), the consequences are often much less, such as losing data. On the other hand, in OT, if an oil refinery ignites, there is the potential cost of life, negative impacts on the environment, significant liability concerns, as well as long-term brand damage. This emphasizes the importance of making quick — and accurate — decisions during times of crisis. And this is ultimately why relying solely on AI or other tools is not perfect for OT operations, as the consequences of an error are immense. 

AI technologies use a lot of data to build decisions and set up logic to provide appropriate answers. In OT, if AI doesn’t make the right call, the potential negative impacts are serious and wide-ranging, while liability remains an open question.

Microsoft, for one, has proposed a blueprint for the public governance of AI to address current and emerging issues through public policy, law and regulation, building on the AI Risk Management Framework recently launched by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The blueprint calls for government-led AI safety frameworks and safety brakes for AI systems that control critical infrastructure as society seeks to determine how to appropriately control AI as new capabilities emerge.

Elevate red team and blue team exercises

The concepts of “red team” and “blue team” refer to different approaches to testing and improving the security of a system or network. The terms originated in military exercises and have since been adopted by the cybersecurity community.

To better secure OT systems, the red team and the blue team work collaboratively, but from different perspectives: The red team tries to find vulnerabilities, while the blue team focuses on defending against those vulnerabilities. The goal is to create a realistic scenario where the red team mimics real-world attackers, and the blue team responds and improves their defenses based on the insights gained from the exercise.

Cyber teams could use AI to simulate cyberattacks and test ways that the system could be both attacked and defended. Leveraging AI technology in a red team blue team exercise would be incredibly helpful to close the skills gap where there may be a shortage of skilled labor or lack of budget for expensive resources, or even to provide a new challenge to well-trained and staffed teams. AI could help identify attack vectors or even highlight vulnerabilities that may not have been found in previous assessments. 

This type of exercise will highlight various ways that might compromise the control system or other prize assets. Additionally, AI could be used defensively to provide various ways to shut down an intrusive attack plan from a red team. This may shine a light on new ways to defend production systems and Improve the overall security of the systems as a whole, ultimately improving overall defense and creating appropriate response plans to protect critical infrastructure. 

Potential for digital twins + AI

Many advanced organizations have already built a digital replica of their OT environment — for example, a virtual version of an oil refinery or power plant. These replicas are built on the company’s comprehensive data set to match their environment. In an isolated digital twin environment, which is controlled and enclosed, you could use AI to stress test or optimize different technologies.

This environment provides a safe way to see what would happen if you changed something, for example, tried a new system or installed a different-sized pipe. A digital twin will allow operators to test and validate technology before implementing it in a production operation. Using AI, you could use your own environment and information to look for ways to increase throughput or minimize required downtimes. On the cybersecurity side, it offers more potential benefits. 

In a real-world production environment, however, there are incredibly large risks to providing access or control over something that can result in real-world impacts. At this point, it remains to be seen how much testing in the digital twin is sufficient before applying those changes in the real world.

The negative impacts if the test results are not completely accurate could include blackouts, severe environmental impacts or even worse outcomes, depending on the industry. For these reasons, the adoption of AI technology into the world of OT will likely be slow and cautious, providing time for long-term AI governance plans to take shape and risk management frameworks to be put in place. 

Enhance SOC capabilities and minimize noise for operators

AI can also be used in a safe means away from production equipment and processes to support the security and growth of OT businesses in a security operations center (SOC) environment. Organizations can leverage AI tools to act almost as an SOC analyst to review for abnormalities and to interpret rule sets from various OT systems.

This again comes back to using emerging technologies to close the skills gap in OT and cybersecurity. AI tools could also be used to minimize noise in alarm management or asset visibility tools with recommended actions or to review data based on risk scoring and rule structures to alleviate time for staff members to focus on the highest priority and greatest impact tasks.

What’s next for AI and OT?

Already, AI is quickly being adopted on the IT side. That adoption may also impact OT as, increasingly, these two environments continue to merge. An incident on the IT side can have OT implications, as the Colonial pipeline demonstrated when a ransomware attack resulted in a halt to pipeline operations. Increased use of AI in IT, therefore, may cause concern for OT environments. 

The first step is to put checks and balances in place for AI, limiting adoption to lower-impact areas to ensure that availability is not compromised. Organizations that have an OT lab must test AI extensively in an environment that is not connected to the broader internet.

Like air-gapped systems that do not allow outside communication, we need closed AI built on internal data that remains protected and secure within the environment to safely leverage the capabilities gen AI and other AI technologies can offer without putting sensitive information and environments, human beings or the broader environment at risk.

A taste of the future — today

The potential of AI to Improve our systems, safety and efficiency is almost endless, but we need to prioritize safety and reliability throughout this interesting time. All of this isn’t to say that we’re not seeing the benefits of AI and machine learning (ML) today. 

So, while we need to be aware of the risks AI and ML present in the OT environment, as an industry, we must also do what we do every time there is a new technology type added to the equation: Learn how to safely leverage it for its benefits. 

Matt Wiseman is senior product manager at OPSWAT.

© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Ironwood Studios’ Pacific Drive is a curious thing, that’s for sure. It’s curious simply because, well, it’s billed as a survival game, yet it bases its entire world around a station wagon. That’s right — a station wagon. Granted, it isn’t a concept that we’ve bumped into all that many times over the years, other than Kona, perhaps. But sure enough, it’s definitely a first for us, which makes it all the more appealing to the naked eye, for sure.

So, what exactly is this so-called Pacific Drive, and when can we expect to get our hands on it? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to collect on the matter since first hearing of its existence a fair ways back. Pacific Drive: what, when, and why? Let’s get right into it.

What Is Pacific Drive?

Let’s get straight to the point. What is Pacific Drive? Right, so it’s described as a post-apocalyptic “driving survival adventure” game, one that’ll look to center its premise around an “anomaly-filled” world known as the Olympic Exclusion Zone. It’s within this self-contained zone, apparently, that unspeakable calamities take place, and not to mention ghostly apparitions roam free under the cover of the dreaded Zone Storm. It’s here, at the epicenter of the OEZ, that you will set out in your trusty station wagon to not only document the oddities that grasp the Pacific Northwest, but tackle the elements and anomalies in a last-ditch effort to make it through to the other side.

In Ironwood Studios’ own words: “In this run-based driving survival adventure, you face supernatural dangers on each expedition into the Olympic Exclusion Zone. Make your base of operations in an abandoned garage, where you’ll research new parts, customize your station wagon, and chart routes deeper into the Zone. As you gather precious resources and investigate what’s been left behind in the Zone, you learn exactly what it takes to survive in this unpredictable, hostile environment.”

Story

So, we know that the game will be centered around this anomaly-strewn Olympic Exclusion Zone — but why? Well, that’s where things get a little confusing, as it turns out. From the looks of it, this once-thriving zone was originally home to “experimental” research of a top-secret organization. Now abandoned and consumed by its own creations, the OEZ stands with little more than a few fragments scattered between sections. This is where you, along with your station wagon, will set out to uncover its vast mysteries.

Here’s a summary of the story, based on Ironwood Studios’ own words: “The experimental leftovers of the secretive ARDA organization remain scattered across the Zone, and finding answers won’t be easy. Everywhere you look you’ll find anomalies, surreal forces of a twisted nature that make your journey more difficult… or at least a lot more interesting. Silhouettes in the dark, rolling piles of scrap metal, and towering pillars of earth – each run is packed with otherworldly hazards. As terrifying as those may be, nothing compares to the overwhelming power of a Zone Storm. Stomp on the gas and outrun it if you can – these rolling maelstroms rend the landscape and obliterate anything that sticks around too long. Don’t let that be you.”

Gameplay

As far as gameplay goes, Pacific Drive will divide its time between run-based open world exploration, which will consist of scavenging for materials and documenting your trips, and upgrading your station wagon in order to venture into greater depths in the OEZ. Going by the blurb, your base of operations—a disused garage—will allow you to make adjustments to your vehicle, as well as plan new routes and pinpoint key landmarks out in the OEZ.

“Check the map, pack some gear for the trip, and hit the road,” the description adds. “Gather resources and collect data as you go, there’s all sorts of useful stuff inside the walls of the Zone. Make it back safely and use the contents of your trunk to Improve your car and garage. Every time you venture out, new trials await: bizarre weather, unforgiving landscapes, and experimental remnants. The golden rule in the Zone is ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ — some materials can only be found in the most dangerous places. Be smart out there, and don’t waste time — it’s going to be a long haul.”

Development

Ironwood Studios announced its plans to bring Pacific Drive to consoles and PC during the State of Play event back in September 2022. Since then, the team has lifted the veil on a second trailer, as well as a selection of in-game screenshots. If all goes according to plan, then the finished product should arrive on PlayStation 5 and PC before the end of 2023.

Trailer

Ironwood Studios teased a trailer of Pacific Drive back at PlayStation’s State of Play 2022, and then again during a February 2023 showcase. You can check out the most exact trailer above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Pacific Drive will be heading to PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store at some point in Q4 2023. Does this mean it won’t be on Xbox Series X|S? Apparently so. But then, who’s to say it won’t find its way over to Microsoft at some stage in the distant future? It happened to Stray, after all.

As far as editions go, Pacific Drive will launch with just the one standard copy, which will be available to purchase from the PlayStation Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.

Planning on staying up to date with Pacific Drive’s development? If so, don’t forget to check in with Ironwood Studios over on its official social feed for all the latest updates here. If anything changes ahead of its 2023 launch, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Pacific Drive when it eventually comes to consoles and PC? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.