Title: General – WordPress News --- # General * ## 󠀁[WordPress 7.0 Beta 1](https://wordpress.org/news/2026/02/wordpress-7-0-beta-1/)󠁿 * February 20, 2026 * WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing! This beta release is intended for testing and development only. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, use a test environment or local site to explore the new features. How to Test WordPress 7.0 Beta… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2026/02/wordpress-7-0-beta-1/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress Playground Brings Speed, Stability, and Momentum](https://wordpress.org/news/2026/01/wordpress-playground-speed-stability-momentum/)󠁿 * January 15, 2026 * WordPress Playground had a busy year in 2025, with updates that make it more capable for day-to-day development, plugin previews, and learning environments. The project’s latest year-in-review highlights progress across performance, compatibility, database support, and tooling, expanding what can be done in a WordPress environment that runs in the browser and through the command line.… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2026/01/wordpress-playground-speed-stability-momentum/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress 6.9 “Gene”](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/12/gene/)󠁿 * December 2, 2025 * WordPress 6.9, code-named “Gene,” brings major upgrades to how teams collaborate and create. The Notes feature introduces block-level commenting to streamline reviewing and polishing content, navigating across the entire dashboard with the Command Palette is now faster for power users, and the new Abilities API provides a standardized way to open the door for AI-powered… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/12/gene/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress 6.9 Release Candidate 3](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-3/)󠁿 * November 25, 2025 * The third Release Candidate (“RC3”) for WordPress 6.9 is ready for download and testing! This version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission- critical websites. Instead, it’s recommended that you evaluate RC3 on a test server and site. Reaching this phase… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-3/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress 6.9 Release Candidate 2](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-2/)󠁿 * November 18, 2025 * The second Release Candidate (“RC2”) for WordPress 6.9 is ready for download and testing! This version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission- critical websites. Instead, it’s recommended that you evaluate RC2 on a test server and site. Reaching this phase… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-2/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress 6.9 Release Candidate 1](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-1/)󠁿 * November 11, 2025 * The first Release Candidate (“RC1”) for WordPress 6.9 is ready for download and testing! This version of the WordPress software is still under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission- critical websites. Instead, it’s recommended to evaluate RC1 on a test server and site. WordPress 6.9 RC1… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-release-candidate-1/) * ## 󠀁[WordPress 6.9 Beta 3](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-beta-3/)󠁿 * November 4, 2025 * WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 is available for download and testing! This beta version of the WordPress software is still under development. Please don’t install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you can evaluate Beta 3 on a test server and site. WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 can be tested… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/11/wordpress-6-9-beta-3/) * ## 󠀁[Portland Welcomes WordCamp US 2025: A Community Gathering](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/08/portland-welcomes-wcus-2025/)󠁿 * August 30, 2025 * A full house of attendees gathered in Portland, Oregon, for WordCamp US 2025, with thousands more tuning in online. Over four days, the flagship WordPress event brought together contributors, innovators, and community members for collaboration, inspiration, and discovery. WordPress is so unique because we’re not just a product; we’re a movement. Matt Mullenweg, WordPress Cofounder… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/08/portland-welcomes-wcus-2025/) * ## 󠀁[Maintenance Releases for WordPress branches 4.7 to 6.7](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/08/maintenance-releases-for-wordpress-branches-4-7-to-6-7/)󠁿 * August 5, 2025 * Following on from the WordPress 6.8.2 maintenance release last month, the included update to the root security certificate bundle has been backported to all branches back to 4.7. This ensures that when your site performs server-side HTTP requests, the most up-to-date information about trusted security certificates is used. Further information can be found on the… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/08/maintenance-releases-for-wordpress-branches-4-7-to-6-7/) * ## 󠀁[Announcing the Formation of the WordPress AI Team](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/05/announcing-the-formation-of-the-wordpress-ai-team/)󠁿 * May 27, 2025 * Today, I’m pleased to announce the formation of a new WordPress AI Team, a dedicated group focused on accelerating and coordinating artificial intelligence projects across the WordPress ecosystem. AI is already transforming how people create and manage content online. As this technology evolves, it’s essential that WordPress remains at the forefront, ensuring innovation happens in… * [Read Post](https://wordpress.org/news/2025/05/announcing-the-formation-of-the-wordpress-ai-team/) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/news/category/general/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/news/category/general/page/3/?output_format=md)… [13](https://wordpress.org/news/category/general/page/13/?output_format=md) [Older Posts](https://wordpress.org/news/category/general/page/2/?output_format=md)