A New WordPress Version Is Being Released In 2025 After All

For much of 2025, it looked like WordPress would break tradition and release only one major new version, 6.8. But in a surprise comeback, it has been announced that 6.9 is officially back on the menu and set to launch this year. At first, it was announced that it would be cancelled due to restructuring, fewer hours being contributed, and a pretty nasty legal battle. It now looks like we’ll be getting a new WordPress version (fingers crossed) after all, bringing a whole bunch of new features with it. This blog will cover what led up to it, what we can expect from version 6.9, and how your WordPress Hosting can help you get the most out of it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• WordPress 6.8 was originally planned as the only 2025 release due to legal issues, resource limitations, and restructuring at Automattic.
• The new WordPress version delivers essential updates across editing, collaboration, AI, and performance.
• WordPress 6.9 benefits users, developers, and the community by showing that resilience and innovation still prevail.
• Hosted.com®’s WordPress Hosting provides the speed, security, and reliability needed to get the best out of WordPress 6.9.

Why a New WordPress Version Wasn’t Expected in 2025

Earlier in the year, it was announced that we would be getting only one major release version, WordPress 6.8, for the year, as opposed to the usual three. Originally slated for an August release date, the latest version of WordPress seemed unlikely to see the light of day in 2025. This was due to a combination of factors, which we’ll get into shortly. Needless to say, many WordPress site owners weren’t entirely happy with the news, although minor updates, bug fixes, and security patches to the project’s core files have continued to roll out as needed.

The Release that Almost Wasn’t

The unusual, some would even say shocking, move was mainly attributed to in-house factors at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, and was a direct result of two events: the internal restructuring and its ongoing legal battle with WP Engine.

The Battle with WP Engine

The legal dispute between Automattic and WP Engine was the beginning of internal restructuring and reduced contributions. The saga began when WordPress co-founder and CEO of Automattic, Matt Mullenweg, referred to WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress” in a blog post. This escalated into WP Engine filing a lawsuit against Automattic and Mullenweg.

The lawsuit accused Automattic of engaging in anti-competitive actions, with a particularly petty move by way of blocking WP Engine’s and its customers’ access to essential WordPress.org resources. A preliminary injunction was granted in favor of WP Engine, ordering Automattic to restore access and stop its interference.

Speaking of interference, the “Pineapple is delicious on pizza” checkbox on the WordPress login page is this author’s personal favorite.  This replaced the previous mandatory one, which briefly appeared in December 2024, requiring people to confirm they were in no way affiliated with WP Engine to circumvent a court order.

Plus, pineapple really is delicious on pizza.

Restructuring and Reduced Workforce

Not long after, Automattic, a primary contributor to the open-source WordPress project, announced a major restructuring that included a 16% reduction in its workforce.

Mullenweg said in another blog post that this was done to streamline the company, improve revenue, and focus on its for-profit products, including WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack, amongst others, to fund the upcoming court cases.

Next, Automattic announced it was slashing its weekly WordPress.org development hours contribution from nearly 4,000 hours to just 45, a 99% reduction. This was done partially to “match” the level of contributions made by various other partners and companies, further affecting the release of a new WordPress update.

Mary Hubbard, Executive Director of Automattic, stated in a post on April 26, 2025, that “WordPress will move to a single major release per year, with WordPress 6.8 ‘Cecil’ marking the final major release for the calendar year.” She went on to say, “This decision reflects current realities — particularly the energy and resources being diverted due to ongoing legal matters.”

The combination of these two events essentially created a situation (somewhat self-inflicted, depending on which side of the fence you’re on) where the traditional multi-release schedule for WordPress in 2025 became unsustainable.

The decision to release a single major version along with minor updates can be seen as a pragmatic response, allowing the remaining contributors to focus on quality over quantity for the WordPress 6.8 update process and ensure the platform’s stability.

WordPress Community Pushback Revives the New Release

Some WordPress users (begrudgingly) accepted this as a necessary slowdown given the circumstances. At the same time, as you can probably imagine, the response from the community at large was very immediate and very vocal. Many main contributors and WordPress website owners expressed frustration at losing a year of momentum on the most recent version.

Thankfully, new contributors came forward, and returning volunteers reignited development efforts. On July 28, 2025, the release team confirmed that the new WordPress version update would proceed as published in the “Roadmap to 6.9” post on the Make WordPress Core blog. The first beta version will be released on October 21, 2025, to begin testing and bug fixes.

Core contributor Jeffrey Paul stated, “The number of volunteers far exceeded the available squad roles, so we selected folks whose experience and focus best aligned with the needs of the 6.9 release,” in his release squad announcement on August 19, 2025.

In line with the restructuring mentioned earlier, the team is smaller and seems to be mostly Automattic-sponsored, with Matt Mullenweg taking the Release Lead role to absolutely no one’s surprise.

What is Coming in WordPress 6.9

Despite its sudden resurrection, the new WordPress version is shaping up to be a pretty decent-looking update for both website owners and developers. This turnaround is largely thanks to revived community support and a leaner, more focused approach from the dev team. Here are some of the key features we can expect to see in December’s new update:

Simplified Full Site Editing

One of the more beginner-friendly new features offers a simpler site editing experience, letting you turn off the more advanced design tools to help content creators focus on writing and layout. You can use the toggle to switch to a cleaner, distraction-free interface with enhanced navigation blocks when needed. This separates content editing from the full suite of design tools, with buttons to open the style book and the global styles panel for further customization.

Improved Template Management

Building on the template options for block themes in the older version, the new release will also enhance WordPress template management. The latest release will include support for multiple templates per slug, the ability to deactivate and save templates as drafts, while retaining custom template parts when switching WordPress themes, providing greater flexibility and control compared to previous versions.

Block-Level Commenting

A brand-new collaborative feature in the latest update, block-level commenting, enables visitors to leave feedback directly on individual blocks. This marks a big step toward creating a more integrated editing experience for the platform, especially when reviewing and leaving feedback.

Expanded Command Palette

The Command Palette is being expanded to provide site-wide access for faster navigation and actions in the WordPress dashboard and menu items. This expansion of the current WordPress version also the foundation for new AI functionality (more on that shortly), as it’s designed to interact with the new Abilities API.

Hide Blocks

Yes, even WordPress is jumping on the AI train. While the update won’t include a built-in AI chatbot, it is laying the groundwork for future capabilities. WordPress 6.9 introduces a PHP AI client and support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which are the building blocks for creating AI-powered plugins and features.

AI Integration

Yes, even WordPress is jumping on the AI train. While the update won’t include a built-in AI chatbot, it is laying the groundwork for future capabilities. WordPress 6.9 introduces a PHP AI client & support, for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which are the building blocks for creating AI-powered plugins and features.

Developer Tools

For WordPress developers, the update includes enhancements to core file APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for developing new features and automations. For example, the Interactivity API is being upgraded for faster page transitions and better form handling, while the DataViews and HTML APIs are getting tweaks for faster performance and dynamic content rendering.

Performance and Security Enhancements

The new version is also bringing the expected performance improvements and security updates. It will raise the minimum required PHP version number to 7.4 (with PHP 8 being recommended) to prevent compatibility issues. The update also includes optimizations for script loading and output buffering, as well as security fixes and enhanced Site Health insights.

No New Default Theme This Time

This time around, the release will not include a new default theme like Twenty Twenty-Five, which came with most of the previous versions of WordPress. The team believes the existing themes and block editing are mature and diverse enough to support most needs, with the focus on refining the editing experience rather than introducing new options for site design.

What it Means for Users, Developers, and the Community

The sudden resurrection of WordPress 6.9 was an unexpected surprise for a lot of people, but it’s a reminder of how responsive (loud) the WordPress community is. We nerds don’t like it when our toys get messed with.

Rather than fade quietly into a one-release year with the uncertainty that it would be the new norm, it is closing out 2025 in style. We’ll be getting a new set of features, performance boosts, and developer tools that will make room for new ways to manage content and create websites.

To quote a blog post on the Automattic site, “After pausing our contributions to regroup, rethink, and plan strategically, we’re ready to press play again and return fully to the WordPress project.” – May 29, 2025

Currently powering over 541 million websites worldwide, translated as 43.4% of all sites on the planet, site owners can expect a cleaner editing experience and improved responsiveness when they update WordPress to 6.9. Content creators and marketing teams will appreciate new commenting tools, and site admins and designers will benefit from improved template flexibility.

For developers, the new APIs in the core update open the door for even more advanced functionality, especially in AI and interactivity. We can also expect subsequent minor releases to make further improvements as we head into 2026.

For the community at large, the release of WordPress 6.9 proves that people who use it still drive the platform forward, despite the changes in how the powers-that-be have chosen to run it. This comeback looks to be, for all intents and purposes, one that makes meaningful, well-thought-out changes that work for the benefit of the platform and all its users.

Hosting for the New WordPress Version

With the new WordPress release focusing on backend improvements, performance, and developer tools, having WordPress Hosting that’s optimized for them is more important than ever, whether you’re running an online store, blog site, or business page.

Get the best out of your WordPress installation with hosting designed specifically for the world’s most popular CMS (Content Management System). Hosted.com® provides a WordPress Hosting solution that perfectly suits the demands of this major update.

Powered by LiteSpeed Web Server technology, high-frequency AMD processors, and DDR5 RAM, our server infrastructure keeps your website loading quickly and your customers and search engines happy. Next, our CloudLinux-backed resource isolation ensures consistent performance and lets us offer a 99.9% Uptime Guarantee, even during traffic spikes.

We take your security seriously. That’s why you get automatic updates for the core software to patch known security vulnerabilities, malware scanning, a free SSL certificate, Acronis daily backups, firewalls, and DDoS protection to filter harmful traffic and protect your site and visitors’ personal data.

You also get staging environments for safe testing and plugin updates with easy recovery options. Finally, our server software supports PHP 7.4 through to 8.3, if you’re still running WordPress 6.7 and earlier and future-proofed for 6.9’s raised minimum requirements.

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Other Blogs of Interest

– A Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Hosting – Part 1

– A Beginner Guide to WordPress Hosting – Part 2

– 10 Top Free WordPress Themes for your Website

– What Is WordPress Hosting: Definition – Features and Benefits

– How Long Does It Take To Build A Website With WordPress