WordPress core development is slowing down — and not just a little. Contributor cutbacks, corporate pullbacks, and a lack of clear leadership have left major parts of WordPress, like Gutenberg, crawling forward with no real momentum.
Here’s my take:
Gutenberg was supposed to “modernize” WordPress. Instead, it’s made content creation clunky, confusing, and often less reliable.
Instead of giving users real freedom, it boxed them into an overengineered system that still can’t compete with true page builders like Elementor, Divi, or Bricks.
It’s time to admit it: Gutenberg should have always been a plugin — an option, not a mandate. WordPress’ greatest strength has always been choice, and forcing Gutenberg into core violates that spirit.
When we talk about WordPress thriving for the next 20 years, it won’t be because of Gutenberg. It’ll be because of the developers, freelancers, agencies, and businesses that keep building, innovating, and pushing the ecosystem forward — often in spite of the direction core is taking.
The good news?
WordPress isn’t going anywhere.
The platform is bigger than any single editor, feature, or leadership trend. If we stay focused on flexibility, ownership, and community-driven innovation, WordPress will keep growing stronger — with or without Gutenberg dragging it down.
Advice:
Stay committed, stay adaptable — and keep fighting for a WordPress that puts users first, not software experiments.
