And then there were two?

Intel has dropped a bombshell. In a recent financial filing, the company stated that an exit from the leading-edge arena is a very real possibility. “If we are unable to secure a significant external customer … we face the prospect that it will not be economical to develop and manufacture Intel 14A and successor leading‑edge nodes … In such an event, we may pause or discontinue our pursuit of Intel 14A and successor,” the firm writes in an SEC filing.

If development does halt at 14A, Intel expects to use in-house-manufactured 18A technologies in most of its products through at least 2030. Ultimately, however, for the design arm to remain competitive, it will have to start outsourcing production of the most advanced chiplets while continuing to manufacture more matures tiles in its own fabs.