WordPress 7.0 Release Readiness: Beta 1 Set for February 19
With WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 set for February 19, 2026, the ecosystem is bracing for one of the most significant releases in recent years. This version isn't just a number bump; it represents the convergence of Gutenberg Phase 3 (Collaboration) and the first steps into Phase 4 (Multilingual). To help developers prepare, I've updated my wp-7-release-readiness CLI scanner to detect more than just PHP versions.
What's New in the Scanner
I've enhanced the tool to specifically target the upcoming core changes:
- Phase 4 Multilingual Readiness: The scanner now detects popular multilingual plugins like Polylang and WPML. Since WP 7.0 is laying the groundwork for native multilingual support, identifying these plugins early helps teams plan for eventual core migrations.
- Phase 3 Collaboration Audit: It checks for collaboration-heavy plugins (e.g., Edit Flow, Oasis Workflow). As WordPress 7.0 introduces real-time collaboration features, these plugins might become redundant or conflict with core's new capabilities.
- PHP 8.2+ Recommendation: While PHP 7.4 remains the minimum, WordPress 7.0 highly recommends PHP 8.2 or 8.3 for optimal performance with the new collaboration engine. The tool now flags environments running older PHP 8.x versions as needing an update for the best experience.
Why Beta 1 Matters
Beta 1 (Feb 19) is the "feature freeze" point. For developers, this is the time to start testing themes and plugins against the new core. The final release is expected in early April, giving us a tight 6-week window to ensure compatibility. Using a scanner like this allows for automated auditing across large multisite networks or agency portfolios before manually testing each site.
Technical Insight: Scanning for Conflict
The plugin detection logic uses a simple but effective directory-based heuristic. By mapping known third-party solutions for multilingual and collaboration to their core-equivalent counterparts in 7.0, the tool provides a high-level "conflict risk" score. It's not just about what breaks; it's about what becomes native.