WordPress 5.6 Release Planning ![rw-book-cover](https://s.w.org/images/backgrounds/wordpress-bg-medblue.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[Francesca Marano]] - Full Title: WordPress 5.6 Release Planning - Category: #articles - Summary: Kudos to the wonderful group of people who contributed to the successful release of WordPress 5.5 yesterday!  We now turn our focus to the final major release of the year with WordPress 5.6. As @chanthaboune noted back in March, WordPress 5. - URL: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/08/13/wordpress-5-6-release-planning/ Kudos to the wonderful group of people who contributed to the successful release of [WordPress 5.5](https://wordpress.org/news/2020/08/eckstine/) yesterday! We now turn our focus to the final major release of the year with [WordPress 5.6](https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-6). #### Release Squad As [@chanthaboune](https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/) noted back in March, [WordPress 5.6 will feature an all-women release squad](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/03/11/all-women-release-squad/) with the hope of increasing the number of women who have experience on a release squad and return as contributors to Core and elsewhere. Then in May when the [5.5 release squad was announced](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/05/29/2020-wordpress-release-squads/) it also noted many of the 5.6 release squad members who would shadow the 5.5 team and learn the release process. With [@chanthaboune](https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/) [on sabbatical](https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2020/03/09/sabbatical-planning/) until 21 September 2020, I have the pleasure of sharing the 5.6 release leads and the various cohort groups who will be supporting those leads, as well as the release scope and schedule for 5.6. * **Editor Tech Lead:** Isabel Brison ([@isabel\_brison](https://profiles.wordpress.org/isabel_brison/)). Cohort: Elaine Thomas ([@mekalekahi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mekalekahi/)), Chandrika Guntur ([@cguntur](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cguntur/)), Anchen le Roux ([@anchenlr](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anchenlr/)), and Rebecca Hum ([@rebasaurus](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rebasaurus/)). * **Design Leads:** Ellen Bauer ([@elmastudio](https://profiles.wordpress.org/elmastudio/)) and Tammie Lister ([@karmatosed](https://profiles.wordpress.org/karmatosed/)). Cohort: Anyssa Ferreira ([@anyssa](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anyssa/)), Estela Rueda ([@estelaris](https://profiles.wordpress.org/estelaris/)), Tracy Apps ([@tray](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tray/)), and Sophia DeRosia ([@eringoblog](https://profiles.wordpress.org/eringoblog/)). * **Marketing Lead:** Yvette Sonneveld ([@yvettesonneveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/yvettesonneveld/)). Cohort: Michelle Frechette ([@michelleames](https://profiles.wordpress.org/michelleames/)), Bre McDede ([@bmcdede](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmcdede/)), Abha Thakor ([@webcommsat](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webcommsat/)) and Afshana Diya ([@afshanadiya](https://profiles.wordpress.org/afshanadiya/)). * **Documentation Wrangler:** Shawntelle Coker ([@sncoker](https://profiles.wordpress.org/sncoker/)). Cohort: Trisha Cornelius ([@trisha\_cornelius](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trisha_cornelius/)), Allie Nimmons ([@alliennimmons](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alliennimmons/)), Adedayo Jibi Adeniyi ([@daydah](https://profiles.wordpress.org/daydah/)), and Meher Bala ([@meher](https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/)). * **Documentation Review Lead:** Michele Butcher-Jones ([@m\_butcher](https://profiles.wordpress.org/m_butcher/)). Cohort: Nidhi Jain ([@jainnidhi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jainnidhi/)). #### Release Scope The following are the remaining goals for the year that are targeted as part of WordPress 5.6. * **Ship:** Navigation menus block and screen in Core. * **Ship:** Automatic updates for major WordPress Core releases (opt-in). * **Ship**: New features from the block editor upgrades. * **Ship:** Widgets-editing and Customizer support in Core. * **Ship:** Default theme, including an FSE compatible version. * **Ship:** PHP 8 support. * **Ship**: Public beta of Full Site Editing. #### Release Schedule The schedule from today, 12 August 2020, until the WordPress 5.6 release can be found on the [5.6 development cycle page](https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-6). In summary, some key milestones for the release are: * **Kickoff:** 19 August 2020 * **Beta 1:** 20 October 2020 (~9 weeks from kickoff) * **Release Candidate 1:** 17 November 2020 (4 weeks from Beta 1) * **General Release:** 8 December 2020 (3 weeks from Release Candidate 1) If you want to dive deeper into 5.6, development is discussed at a [weekly meeting](https://make.wordpress.org/core/weekly-developer-chats/) in the [#core](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/core) Slack channel and occurs next at [Wednesday, January 4, 2023, 12:00 PM PST](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20230104T2000). Wish us luck! *This post was compiled with the help of [@jeffpaul](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/) and reviewed for clarity and accuracy by [@cbringmann](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/). Props to [@cbringmann](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbringmann/), [@angelasjin](https://profiles.wordpress.org/angelasjin/), [@francina](https://profiles.wordpress.org/francina/), and [@desrosj](https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/) for helping assemble this fantastic release squad and to [@chanthaboune](https://profiles.wordpress.org/chanthaboune/) for the inspiration to lead the project in this direction!*, WordPress 5.6 Release Planning, Francesca Marano, 01gnmcxd68w608hpqrtjanzb1d.