[PHP-DEV] [PHP8.6] Soft feature freeze in 1 week

Hi everyone,

This is the one‑week reminder that the PHP 8.6 beta1 release is 
approaching on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

The soft feature freeze happens two days earlier, on Tuesday, August 11, 
when the beta1 tag is created. During the beta period, all features 
(whether they require an RFC or not) may still be merged, but only with 
Release Manager approval.

Under the updated release process, beta1 is the deadline for all RFCs 
targeting PHP 8.6 to be fully decided. Any RFC intended for inclusion in 
PHP 8.6 must have its discussion concluded and its voting closed before 
August 13. New RFCs must therefore not target PHP 8.6.

The hard feature freeze occurs when RC1 is tagged on September 22, 2026. 
After the hard feature freeze, no new features may be accepted. The 
focus should shift entirely to fixing bugs, improving tests, and 
preparing documentation for all accepted features.

The full schedule is available at:
https://wiki.php.net/todo/php86

Thank you all for your continued work and contributions.


Your 8.6 RMs,
Matteo, Joe, and Daniel