WordPress is always evolving, and every major release feels like a milestone in the journey of open-source collaboration. The upcoming WordPress 6.9 release is no exception. With its official release scheduled for December 2, 2025, the community has now unveiled the 6.9 Release Squad a team of dedicated contributors who will guide, shape, and polish this version of WordPress before it reaches millions of users worldwide.
This announcement isn’t just about names on a list; it’s about people from different corners of the world, volunteering their skills to move WordPress forward. Let’s dive into who’s leading the charge, why this release matters, and what exciting features you can look forward to.
The People Behind WordPress 6.9
The release squad is the backbone of every WordPress update. For version 6.9, the team has been carefully chosen to cover everything from leadership to testing. Here’s how the roles break down:
- Release Lead: Matt Mullenweg
- Release Coordinators: Akshaya Rane and Amy Kamala
- Technical Leads: David Baumwald, Ella van Durpe, Héctor Prieto
- Design Lead: Francisco Vera
- Triage Leads: Aki Hamano and Ryan Welcher
- Testing Leads: Jonathan Bossenger and Krupa Nanda
Each of these roles plays a critical part in shaping the final product. The coordinators keep everything on schedule, the technical leads focus on code and stability, the design lead ensures usability, and the triage/testing leads work tirelessly to squash bugs and keep things running smoothly.
It’s worth noting that this release continues with the “leaner squad” model introduced in recent versions. Instead of having a large, sprawling leadership structure, WordPress now emphasizes tighter collaboration with representatives from different Make Teams. This means the core squad can stay focused, while still giving visibility to all areas of contribution—documentation, design, accessibility, performance, and more.
Interestingly, for 6.9, the marketing communications role has been merged into release coordination, streamlining things even further.
Why WordPress 6.9 Almost Didn’t Happen
The road to this release wasn’t as straightforward as usual. At the start of 2025, there were concerns that WordPress 6.9 might not even be on the release calendar. Contributor fatigue, leadership challenges, and shifting priorities put the release at risk of being skipped.
But thanks to renewed community energy and strong collaboration among core contributors, 6.9 is back on track. In many ways, this release symbolizes resilience. It shows the strength of the open-source model: when people rally together, even big obstacles can be overcome.
Important Dates for WordPress 6.9
If you like following along with the development process or if you’re a plugin/theme developer who needs to prepare here are the key milestones:
- Beta 1 – October 21, 2025
- Release Candidate 1 – November 11, 2025
- Release Candidate 2 – November 18, 2025
- Release Candidate 3 – November 25, 2025
- Final Release (WordPress 6.9) – December 2, 2025
The period between October and November is especially important for testing. This is when community feedback can make or break the smoothness of the final launch.
What’s Coming in WordPress 6.9?
Every major WordPress update brings new tools for creators, site owners, and developers. From what we know so far, here are some of the highlights:
1. A Smoother Site Editing Experience
WordPress has been steadily refining the Site Editor, and 6.9 takes it further. Expect:
- A content-focused editing mode that’s less overwhelming.
- Improved template management, including the ability to save drafts, manage multiple templates for the same slug, and keep custom templates even when switching themes.
- Non-destructive block hiding, which allows you to hide elements without deleting them entirely.
2. Block-Level Commenting
One of the most exciting features is the introduction of block comments. This will allow collaborators to leave feedback directly on specific blocks perfect for editorial teams, designers, and agencies managing client sites.
3. A Universal Command Palette
Think of this as WordPress’s version of a quick command center. The command palette will be available across all admin screens, letting you quickly jump between tasks. It’s not only a usability win, but also the foundation for future AI-powered enhancements.
4. Developer-Focused Improvements
For developers, WordPress 6.9 is packed with under-the-hood upgrades:
- Abilities API – giving external tools and AI systems a unified way to interact with WordPress.
- Interactivity API enhancements – making front-end experiences smoother.
- Block Bindings and HTML API updates – providing more flexibility for advanced customizations.
- DataViews and DataForm improvements – better filtering, field handling, and data management.
5. Performance Boosts
Nobody likes a slow website, and performance continues to be a top priority. Some of the enhancements include:
- bfcache support (back/forward cache) for logged-in users.
- Better stylesheet handling and fetch priority management.
- Unified output buffering for more efficient rendering.
- Smarter inline styles for speedier loading.
In short, your site should feel faster and snappier right out of the box.
How You Can Get Involved
One of the best things about WordPress is that anyone can contribute whether you’re a developer, designer, writer, or tester. Here are some ways you can join the 6.9 journey:
Attend weekly developer chats every Wednesday at 15:00 UTC in the #core Slack channel.
Help with bug scrubs and triage, testing features and reporting issues.
Contribute documentation, dev notes, and tutorials to make the release easier for users.
Test beta releases on your staging site and provide feedback.
Even small contributions like testing a new feature and reporting back – help ensure a more stable, polished release.
Final Thoughts
WordPress 6.9 is shaping up to be a meaningful release not just because of the features it brings, but because of the story behind it. From almost being canceled to becoming the final major release of 2025, 6.9 represents resilience, collaboration, and the true spirit of open source.
The new release squad has their work cut out for them, but with the support of the community, this update is set to deliver a more polished editing experience, smarter tools for collaboration, and better performance across the board.
As December approaches, the countdown begins. Whether you’re a site owner eager for new features, a developer preparing your plugins, or a contributor lending your skills, WordPress 6.9 is a release to watch.
