● Covered by 1 source · 12 reportsMedium impact12 neutral
JDK 28 Targets New Features, JDK 27 Release Candidate Delayed
Key points
- JEP 539 (Strict Field Initialization) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 401 (Value Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 535 (Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default) targeted for JDK 28.
- JDK 27 release candidate delayed to August 20, 2026.
- Oracle released July 2026 Critical Patch Update.
- Simple JSON API proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 (Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal) proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 review concludes August 21, 2026.
- JEP 540 (Simple JSON API) moved from Candidate to Proposed to Target status.
- JEP 540 will ship in the incubating jdk.incubator.json module.
- JEP 540 API centers on the Json class and the sealed JsonValue interface.
- JsonValue permits six non-sealed subinterfaces.
- JEP 540 instances are immutable and thread-safe.
- JDK 27 is a non-LTS release.
- JDK 27 is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026.
- JDK 27 includes nine new features.
- JDK 27 features are across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification.
- JEP 531 (Lazy Constants) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 533 (Structured Concurrency) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 537 (Vector API) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 523 (Make G1 the Default Garbage Collector in All Environments) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 534 (Compact Object Headers by Default) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 536 (JFR In-Process Data Redaction) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JDK 27 release candidate 1 is available.
- JEP 542 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 proposes deprecating macOS/x64 port because Apple no longer supports this architecture.
- JEP 541 intends to remove the port in a future release to save on maintenance costs.
- JEP 540 implements RFC 8259, The JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data Interchange Format.
- JEP 540 supersedes JEP 198, Light-Weight JSON API, which is closed and withdrawn.
- GraalVM 25.3 released with performance and security improvements.
- Jakarta Data 1.1.0 reached its fourth milestone.
- Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4 are available.
- Early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
- Atmosphere 4.0 was released.
- WildFly 41 received a maintenance release.
- Eclipse JNoSQL released milestone versions.
- Open Liberty September 2026 edition is in beta.
- JEP 542 was previewed in JDK 25, JDK 26, and JDK 27.
- JEP 542 provides an API for encoding/decoding cryptographic objects to/from PEM format.
- JEP 542 supports conversions between PEM text and PKCS #8 and X.509 binary formats.
- JEP 542 reclassified the PEM record class to a regular class.
- JEP 542 renamed the DEREncodable interface to BinaryEncodable.
- TornadoVM 6.0 released.
- TornadoVM 6.0 replaces JNI with Foreign Function & Memory API.
- TornadoVM 6.0 removes JVMCI.
- JDK 27 early-access build 35 is current.
- JDK 28 early-access build 14 is available.
- JDK 27 includes JEP 527 (Post-Quantum Hybrid Key Exchange for TLS 1.3).
- JDK 27 includes JEP 532 (Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch).
- JEP 531 is in its third preview.
- JEP 533 is in its seventh preview.
- JEP 537 is in its twelfth incubator.
- JEP 538 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) is in its third preview.
- BellSoft released Liberica JDK 27.
- Liberica JDK 27 includes 2,542 fixes.
- BellSoft contributed three fixes to Liberica JDK 27.
- Open J Proxy 1.0 reached General Availability.
- A2A Jakarta 1.0 reached General Availability.
- Netflix ja is a modern JMS command line development experience.
- JDK 28 early-access build 16 was made available.
- JDK 28 build 16 includes fixes from build 15.
- TornadoVM 7.0 reached General Availability.
- Groovy 6.0 reached General Availability.
- GraalVM 25.4 received updates.
- JEP 544 (Ahead-of-Time Code Compilation) moved to Proposed to Target for JDK 28.
- JEP 544 improves application startup and warmup time with optimized native code.
- JEP 544 review concludes September 28, 2026.
- JEP 546 (Adaptive Heap Sizing for ZGC) moved to Candidate status.
- JEP 546 enhances ZGC to adaptively adjust heap size.
- JEP 545 (Faster Startup and Warmup with ZGC) moved to Candidate status.
- JDK 28 early-access build 17 received updates.
JDK 28 Feature Advancements
Three significant Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) have been targeted for inclusion in JDK 28. JEP 539, "Strict Field Initialization in the JVM (Preview)," introduces strictly-initialized fields that must be initialized before being read, preventing default values like 0 or null from being observed. This feature is intended for use by compilers that emit class files.
JEP 401, "Value Objects (Preview)," proposes to enhance the Java language with value objects. These objects are defined by having only final fields, no identity, and being distinguished solely by the values of their respective fields. This JEP was formerly known as "Object Classes and Values (Preview)."
JEP 535, "Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default," designates the Shenandoah Garbage Collector to operate in generational mode by default. The non-generational mode will be deprecated with the intention of removing it in a future release.
JDK 27 Release Candidate Postponed
The initial release candidate for JDK 27, originally scheduled for August 6, 2026, has been delayed by two weeks and is now set for August 20, 2026. Mark Reinhold, Chief Architect of the Java Platform Group at Oracle, announced this change to align with the August 18, 2026, Critical Patch Update (CPU).
Build 34 of the JDK 27 early-access builds was released, including fixes from Build 33.
Other Java Updates
Oracle released its July 2026 Critical Patch Update, which includes updates for multiple JDK versions. Additionally, JEP 540, "Simple JSON API (Incubator)," and JEP 541, "Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal," have moved to Candidate status for JDK 28.
Other releases include Embabel 1.0, Azul Payara 7.2.0, and Helidon 4.5.1. The sixth release candidate of Maven 4.0 and the first milestone release of Jakarta Agentic AI 1.0 were also noted.
Updates
- TornadoVM 7.0 reached General Availability.
- Groovy 6.0 reached General Availability.
- GraalVM 25.4 received updates.
- JEP 544 (Ahead-of-Time Code Compilation) moved to Proposed to Target for JDK 28.
- JEP 544 improves application startup and warmup time with optimized native code.
- JEP 544 review concludes September 28, 2026.
- JEP 546 (Adaptive Heap Sizing for ZGC) moved to Candidate status.
- JEP 546 enhances ZGC to adaptively adjust heap size.
- JEP 545 (Faster Startup and Warmup with ZGC) moved to Candidate status.
- JDK 28 early-access build 17 received updates.
- BellSoft released Liberica JDK 27.
- Liberica JDK 27 includes 2,542 fixes.
- BellSoft contributed three fixes to Liberica JDK 27.
- Open J Proxy 1.0 reached General Availability.
- A2A Jakarta 1.0 reached General Availability.
- Netflix ja is a modern JMS command line development experience.
- JDK 28 early-access build 16 was made available.
- JDK 28 build 16 includes fixes from build 15.
- JDK 27 includes JEP 527 (Post-Quantum Hybrid Key Exchange for TLS 1.3).
- JDK 27 includes JEP 532 (Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch).
- JEP 531 is in its third preview.
- JEP 533 is in its seventh preview.
- JEP 537 is in its twelfth incubator.
- JEP 538 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) is in its third preview.
- TornadoVM 6.0 released.
- TornadoVM 6.0 replaces JNI with Foreign Function & Memory API.
- TornadoVM 6.0 removes JVMCI.
- JDK 27 early-access build 35 is current.
- JDK 28 early-access build 14 is available.
- GraalVM 25.3 released with performance and security improvements.
- Jakarta Data 1.1.0 reached its fourth milestone.
- Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4 are available.
- Early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
- Atmosphere 4.0 was released.
- WildFly 41 received a maintenance release.
- Eclipse JNoSQL released milestone versions.
- Open Liberty September 2026 edition is in beta.
- JEP 542 was previewed in JDK 25, JDK 26, and JDK 27.
- JEP 542 provides an API for encoding/decoding cryptographic objects to/from PEM format.
- JEP 542 supports conversions between PEM text and PKCS #8 and X.509 binary formats.
- JEP 542 reclassified the PEM record class to a regular class.
- JEP 542 renamed the DEREncodable interface to BinaryEncodable.
- JDK 27 release candidate 1 is available.
- JEP 542 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 proposes deprecating macOS/x64 port because Apple no longer supports this architecture.
- JEP 541 intends to remove the port in a future release to save on maintenance costs.
- JEP 540 implements RFC 8259, The JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data Interchange Format.
- JEP 540 supersedes JEP 198, Light-Weight JSON API, which is closed and withdrawn.
- JDK 27 is a non-LTS release.
- JDK 27 is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026.
- JDK 27 includes nine new features.
- JDK 27 features are across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification.
- JEP 531 (Lazy Constants) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 533 (Structured Concurrency) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 537 (Vector API) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 523 (Make G1 the Default Garbage Collector in All Environments) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 534 (Compact Object Headers by Default) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 536 (JFR In-Process Data Redaction) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 540 (Simple JSON API) moved from Candidate to Proposed to Target status.
- JEP 540 will ship in the incubating jdk.incubator.json module.
- JEP 540 API centers on the Json class and the sealed JsonValue interface.
- JsonValue permits six non-sealed subinterfaces.
- JEP 540 instances are immutable and thread-safe.
- Simple JSON API proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 (Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal) proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 review concludes August 21, 2026.
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Primary sources
GitHub openjdk/jdk GitHub embabel/embabel-agent GitHub payara/Payara GitHub helidon-io/helidon CVE CVE-2024-93429.8 CRITICAL GitHub junit-team/junit-frameworkHow outlets covered it
TornadoVM 7.0 and Groovy 6.0 reached General Availability, while GraalVM 25.4 and JDK 28 early-access build 17 received updates. OpenJDK advanced JEP 544 (Ahead-of-Time Code Compilation) to Proposed to Target for JDK 28, and JEP 546 (Adaptive Heap Sizing for ZGC) and JEP 545 (Faster Startup and Warmup with ZGC) to Candidate status. These updates introduce new features and performance improvements across the Java ecosystem, particularly focusing on startup times and memory management.
Oracle released JDK 27 with nine JEPs, and BellSoft followed with Liberica JDK 27. Additionally, Open J Proxy 1.0 and A2A Jakarta 1.0 reached General Availability, introducing new features and bug fixes for Java developers. These releases provide updated tools and platforms for Java development, impacting various aspects from core language features to database proxying and enterprise specifications.
Oracle has released Java 27, a non-LTS version that includes nine Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), with a focus on security enhancements like post-quantum cryptography. This release continues Oracle's strategy to integrate advanced security features and language innovations into the Java ecosystem.
TornadoVM 6.0 has been released with a new Foreign Function & Memory API and expanded CUDA backend. Micronaut Framework 5.1.3 and GraalVM Development Kit 5.1.3 also saw updates, with GDK now supporting JDK 25 for app generation. These updates provide new features and bug fixes across several Java ecosystem tools.
This week's Java news includes the release of GraalVM 25.3 with performance and security improvements, the fourth milestone of Jakarta Data 1.1.0, and Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4. Additionally, JEP 542 for PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects has been targeted for JDK 28, and early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
The first release candidate of JDK 27 is available, alongside updates for JDK 28 including JEP 541 to deprecate the macOS/x64 port, JEP 540 for a Simple JSON API, and JEP 542 to finalize PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects. These changes impact Java development by introducing new features and removing support for older architectures, affecting developers who use macOS/x64 or require built-in JSON parsing and cryptographic object encoding.
JDK 27, a non-LTS release, has reached its first release candidate and is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026. This version includes nine new features across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification, introducing updates like Structured Concurrency (Seventh Preview) and making G1 the default garbage collector.
JEP 540, the Simple JSON API (Incubator), has been proposed to target JDK 28, introducing a compact, built-in API for parsing, navigating, and generating RFC 8259 JSON documents. This API provides a standard way for Java developers to handle common JSON tasks without external dependencies, focusing on strictness and immutability.
A Simple JSON API has been proposed for JDK 28 to standardize JSON parsing and generation without external libraries, while the macOS/x64 port is slated for deprecation. Jakarta EE 12 continues to progress with multiple specifications reaching milestone releases, including Jakarta Agentic AI 1.0 M1. These updates indicate ongoing development in core Java functionality and enterprise Java specifications.
The initial release candidate for JDK 27 has been delayed by two weeks to August 20, 2026, to align with a Critical Patch Update. Additionally, JEP 535, which makes Shenandoah GC's generational mode the default, is now targeted for JDK 28.
Several OpenJDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) have advanced in status for JDK 28, including JEP 539 for Strict Field Initialization and JEP 401 for Value Objects, both now targeted for the release. JEP 535, Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default, is also proposed to target JDK 28, indicating upcoming changes to Java's core language features and garbage collection. These updates introduce new capabilities and performance improvements for Java developers.
Several Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) for JDK 28 have advanced, including Strict Field Initialization and Value Objects, while a Simple JSON API and the deprecation of the macOS/x64 port moved to Candidate status. Oracle also released its July 2026 Critical Patch Update for multiple JDK versions and announced more frequent CPU releases.