WordPress 6.5 release date delayed, new official release date set for April 2, 2024

Based on the community's response to the What's New in WP6.5 -- Font Libraryrespond in singingSynchronization mode adjustmentfeedback, the release schedule for WordPress 6.5 has been updated, along with some final changes to the font library.

The release of WordPress 6.5 will be delayed by one week and is currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

The release of WordPress 6.5 has been delayed for the following reasons:

• The fonts will be stored in a new location: wp-content/uploads/fonts.
• The editorial team is working on fixing some major bugs found through the font library feature in the upcoming Gutenberg 18.0.0 release, making sure to test it before considering merging it into WordPress 6.5 RC4.
• To include updated font storage locations and some critical fixes, an additional release candidate -- WordPress 6.5 RC4 -- is scheduled for release on Friday, March 29, 2024, at 00:00 GMT. This release and related announcements will be posted on the WordPress.org news blog to let as many people as possible know about it.
• The one-week delay in release was to ensure enough time for testing, especially given that Thursday through Monday is a significant holiday time in parts of the world.

Why change?

This approach makes it easy for as many websites as possible to use the new font library features without having to install or set up anything extra.

In attempting to realize the compromise initially suggested, we received feedback from a number of trusted contributors that there was not enough time to complete the program to the standard and quality expected by the core contributors before the planned release date.

After evaluating different options and discussing various possible solutions, we decided that the safest and most efficient method was to store the font files in the wp-content/uploads/fonts folder.