WordPress 7.0 RC1 Pushed to March 24, 2026
In a surprise announcement posted on March 19, 2026, the WordPress Core team confirmed that Release Candidate 1 (RC1) for WordPress 7.0 has been delayed. Originally scheduled to drop at 15:00 UTC on Thursday, March 19th, the release has been pushed back to Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT (15:00 UTC).
Why Was RC1 Delayed?
During final preparations for the release, the Core team identified three key concerns that needed to be addressed before shipping RC1:
- Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) Performance — Enhancements to the RTC feature, one of WordPress 7.0’s flagship additions, required additional review and refinement to ensure a smooth collaborative editing experience.
- Client-side Media Image Optimization — Issues were flagged around the client-side media image optimization pipeline that needed resolution before the release candidate could be finalized.
- Release Package Size — Concerns were raised about the overall size of the release package, prompting the team to investigate and address bloat before shipping.
What This Means for the WordPress 7.0 Release Schedule
The good news: the rest of the WordPress 7.0 release cycle schedule remains unchanged. The final release is still on track for April 9, 2026, coinciding with WordCamp Asia 2026 Contributor Day.
Here’s the updated key milestone:
- Beta 5 — March 15, 2026 (released)
- RC1 — March 24, 2026 (delayed from March 19)
- Final Release — April 9, 2026 (unchanged)
WordPress 7.0 Highlights to Look Forward To
Despite the brief delay, WordPress 7.0 remains one of the most feature-packed releases in years. Key highlights include:
- Real-Time Collaboration — Co-editing powered by Yjs CRDT technology with HTTP polling sync provider
- AI Provider Integration — Native connectors for OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic via the new php-ai-client package
- In-Editor Visual Revisions — Color-coded change tracking directly in the block editor
- PHP-Only Block Registration — Create Gutenberg blocks with zero JavaScript using the new autoRegister flag
- New Icon Block — SVG icon support with a server-side Icon Registration API
- Admin UI Overhaul — DataViews-powered admin redesign with new UI primitives
Developer Action Items
With RC1 arriving March 24, now is the time to:
- Test your plugins and themes against the WordPress 7.0 Beta 5 build
- Review the Real-Time Collaboration Dev Note if your plugin uses classic meta boxes
- Check compatibility with the new DataViews and DataForm API changes
- Explore the PHP-only block registration feature for simpler block development
Key Takeaway: The WordPress 7.0 RC1 delay is a quality-first decision by the Core team. With Real-Time Collaboration, AI integration, and a major admin overhaul on the horizon, a few extra days to get it right is well worth the wait. Mark your calendars for March 24 and start testing!
Hashtags: #WordPress #WordPress70 #WebDevelopment #WPDev #OpenSource #Gutenberg #RealTimeCollaboration
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