WordPress 7.0 Development is officially picking up speed, and the recent Dev Chat on January 14, 2026, made one thing very clear: it is time to say goodbye to legacy debt. Specifically, the core team has confirmed that support for PHP 7.2 and 7.3 will be dropped in the upcoming 7.0 release. Consequently, this shift allows us to finally embrace more modern PHP patterns without the constant fear of breaking a site running on a ten-year-old server configuration.
Why Dropping PHP 7.2 Matters for WordPress 7.0 Development
For those of us who have spent years refactoring code to ensure backward compatibility with ancient PHP versions, this is a massive win. While some might worry about the small percentage of users still on PHP 7.2, the trade-off in performance and maintainability is undeniable. In contrast to older versions, modern PHP (8.0+) offers significant improvements in execution speed and memory management.
By moving the baseline, WordPress 7.0 Development can start utilizing features like constructor property promotion, union types, and the nullsafe operator. If you are still managing clients on legacy hosting, now is the time to start those migration conversations. You can read more about the technical implications in my previous post on dropping PHP 7.2 support.
The Debate Over the PHP Filter Extension
One of the more nuanced discussions in the Dev Chat revolved around the filter extension. Currently, WordPress Core barely uses it, with the notable exception of PHPMailer. The proposal is to move it from “optional” to “built-in” (default) to simplify environment checks. Furthermore, many developers noted that the extension is already present on nearly every modern PHP install.
However, there is a catch. The consensus among senior contributors is that filter_var functions—especially for email validation—are often unreliable. This highlights a classic architectural tension: do we standardize on a built-in extension for the sake of simplicity, even if its utility is limited? For more details on how these filters behave, check the official PHP Filter documentation.
<?php
/**
* Example of why we want to move past PHP 7.2.
* Modern PHP 8.x features make our logic much cleaner.
*/
function bbioon_modern_check( ?string $input ): string {
// PHP 8.0+ Nullsafe operator and Union Types
return $input ?? 'Default Value';
}
// In WordPress 7.0 Development, we can stop writing
// defensive code for versions released in 2017.
?>Nominations and the Call for Volunteers
As we march toward this milestone, the project is calling for volunteers for the WordPress 7.0 release squad. If you have been looking for a way to contribute to the core software that powers 40% of the web, now is your chance. Additionally, nominations for Core Team Representatives for 2026 are now open. Therefore, if you have a colleague who lives and breathes Trac tickets, make sure to nominate them before the deadline.
Look, if this WordPress 7.0 Development stuff is eating up your dev hours, let me handle it. I’ve been wrestling with WordPress since the 4.x days.
Final Takeaway on the 7.0 Roadmap
The 6.9 retrospective is also currently open, and the feedback gathered there will directly shape how the 7.0 cycle is managed. Whether it is improving the release process or finalizing the PHP extension list, the goal is clear: a leaner, faster, and more modern WordPress. Stay tuned as we continue to track these updates through the beta cycles.
