WordPress Announces Last-Minute Delay to 6.5 Release

WordPress is the most popular open-source content management system for creating and managing websites. With over 60% share of the CMS market, it powers over 40% of the internet.

This is why millions of users globally eagerly anticipate each new release, including version 6.5, which was expected on March 26. However, it did not arrive as planned, and here’s why.

Why Was WordPress 6.5 Postponed to April 2?

In a recent update from the WordPress development team, the eagerly anticipated WordPress 6.5 has had its release date pushed back by a week to Tuesday, April 2, 2024. This decision stems from insightful community feedback and aims to enhance the upcoming version’s functionality and reliability.

The core of the delay centers around adjustments to the new Font Library feature, a cornerstone of the new release aimed at enhancing theme customization and software composability.

The initial plans were for the fonts to be stored in a default folder at “wp-content/fonts,” emphasizing their importance alongside themes and plugins. This adjustment aligns with the direction towards more composable block themes, enabling users to interchangeably utilize collections of fonts, patterns, templates, and color schemes without changing the entire theme.

However, in response to community input and the need for further refinements, the development team is implementing significant last-minute changes to ensure the feature’s robustness and user-friendliness, forcing the brief delay of the final WordPress 6.5 release.

One notable change is the relocation of the font storage directory to “wp-content/uploads/fonts.” In addition, to polish the Font Library further, the Editor team is dedicating efforts to rectify a few high-impact bugs identified in the feature. These fixes will be included in the upcoming Gutenberg 18.0.0 release, allowing for thorough testing before potentially merging into WordPress 6.5.

In light of this, an unexpected Release Candidate 4 is now on the calendar for today, March 28, 2024. It will incorporate the updated font storage location and address other critical issues. The final stable release will be launched on Tuesday, April 2.

For in-depth details, refer to the official announcement. Comprehensive information regarding the Font Library feature in WordPress 6.5 is available here.