This past month saw a lot of preparation work for WordPress 6.0, due to release on 24 May 2022. This major release brings exciting improvements – read on to find out more about the latest happenings in the WordPress project.

WordPress 6.0 Release Candidate 1

The first release candidate (RC1) for WordPress 6.0 is now available for download. Help improve the project by testing and translating this version to non-English languages. Check out the RC1 release post to learn what’s new and how to contribute. For a more in-depth look at the upcoming changes, you can refer to the WordPress 6.0 Field Guide.

WordPress 6.0 is packed with all kinds of improvements for everyone. It brings new blocks, accessibility enhancements, refined design tools, the ability to switch theme styles easily, multi-block partial text selection, and a new block locking interface, to name a few of its highlights.

Listen to the latest WP Briefing episode for a sneak peek into the exciting features included in WordPress 6.0.

Gutenberg releases: Versions 13.0 and 13.1 are here

• Gutenberg 13.0 shipped on April 14, 2022, and introduced the final updates that will be part of WordPress 6.0. These include an improved editor experience (with the ability to select text across blocks), better responsive blocks, and prominently exposed block patterns.
• Gutenberg 13.1 landed on April 27, 2022. This version adds border support to the Columns block and accessibility and Comment block improvements.

Follow the #gutenberg-new posts for more details on the latest updates.

Team updates: Updated guidelines for in-person events, redesign of the Gutenberg page, and more

• The Community team announced updated Covid-19 guidelines for official WordPress events.
• The redesign of the Gutenberg landing page on WordPress.org is nearing completion.
• #WPDiversity announced new meeting times for Asia-Pacific (APAC) areas. You can express your interest in this post.
• The Training team plans to migrate the Contributor Training materials to Learn WordPress. This move will help consolidate all the community-based training content in one place.
• All learners on Learn WordPress can now enjoy using a live WordPress demo site as they go through courses on the site.
• The first stable version 1.0.0 of the Performance Lab plugin was released.
• Read the latest edition of the Meetup Organizer Newsletter.
• Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join the new Photo Directory team meetings. They are held on the first Friday of every month at 14:00 UTC in the #photos channel of the Make WordPress Slack.
• The Performance team published a follow-up post with the next steps on the WebP proposal.
• Check out the projects the Design team contributed to over the past couple of weeks.
• Official Featured and Beta plugins now limit ownership and committer changes.
• The April 2022 edition of the Polyglots Monthly Newsletter was published.
• The latest edition of People of WordPress features Meher Bala, a frontend web developer and community builder from India.
• The #props channel of the Make WordPress Slack is now connected to the WordPress.org profile activity! This way when you give props, it will be included on your WordPress.org profile and the profile of those you mention. This change is part of a larger project that will help credit more non-code contributions.

How do you feel about in-person WordPress gatherings? The Community team wants to hear about the challenges in returning to these events.

Open feedback/testing calls

• Following this proposal for a WordPress Project Contributor Handbook, Executive Director Josepha Haden opened a round of discussions to share feedback on the various handbook sections.
• Version 19.8 of WordPress for Android and iOS is available for testing.
• Join the 14th testing call of the Full Site Editing (FSE) Outreach program – “Rallying Recipe Reviewers.” This call focuses on testing blocks that help recipe authors make their recipe blogs more interactive. Leave your feedback by May 18, 2022.

Are you interested in helping test out new WordPress 6.0 features but don’t know where to start? This detailed guide will walk you through how to get started.

Get ready for WordCamp Europe in Porto

• We are four weeks away from WordCamp Europe. After being postponed twice due to the pandemic, the WordPress event is taking place in Porto, Portugal, on 2-4 June 2022. Check out the schedule and get your tickets if you haven’t yet!
• WordCamp US announced a new program to support underrepresented speakers.
• WordCamp Irun (Spain) is happening this month on May 21 and 22, 2022.

The Call for Volunteers for WordCamp US in San Diego, California, is now open. Newcomers to WordPress are always welcomed. Apply today!

Have a story that we could include in the next issue of The Month in WordPress? Let us know by filling out this form.

The following folks contributed to this Month in WordPress: @rmartinezduque, @cbringmann, @dansoschin.