Automattic make U-turn, resumes contributions to WordPress project
What's the story
Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, has announced its decision to resume contributions to the WordPress project.
The announcement was made in a blog post titled "Returning to Core."
This comes after Automattic had indicated that the 6.8 version of WordPress would be the last major release for all of 2025.
Strategic shift
Renewed commitment to WordPress
In the blog post, Automattic said, "After pausing our contributions to regroup, rethink, and plan strategically, we're ready to press play again and return fully to the WordPress project."
The company also expressed its excitement about this return as a step toward its mission of democratizing publishing for everyone.
Automattic plans to contribute across various platforms including WordPress Core, Gutenberg, Playground, Openverse and WordPress.org.
Market influence
Automattic's impact on WordPress and future plans
Automattic acknowledged that WordPress powers 43% of the web today. However, it is still unclear what prompted this strategic shift.
According to TechCrunch, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg hinted in an internal post that he wants to release version 6.9 this year, with an admin refresh and input from the "new AI team."
This was after WordPress announced a new team to oversee AI projects.
Rumors abound
Speculations surround Automattic's decision to resume contributions
The sudden change in strategy has led to a flurry of speculation.
Some insiders are wondering if Mullenweg was pressured into this decision or if he realized that scaling back wasn't in the best interest of his business or its reputation.
Others are questioning whether this shift is related to Automattic's ongoing legal battle with WordPress hosting company WP Engine, which Mullenweg has called a "threat" and "cancer" to the WordPress community.
Ongoing litigation
Automattic's legal dispute with WP Engine
Since last year, Automattic has been embroiled in a legal battle over WP Engine's alleged lack of contribution to the WordPress project.
Mullenweg believes that the hosting company is profiting off the open-source work done by WordPress without giving back.
He also claims that WP Engine is taking advantage of the confusion between WordPress and commercial services like itself, prompting him to ban it from accessing WordPress.org and sue for unauthorized trademark usage.