The New Schedule at a Glance

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Instead of waiting for quarterly bundles, the new lifecycle splits updates into three distinct types:

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  • Monthly Isolated Security Fixes: Every month, Adobe will release small, non-cumulative security fixes. These are targeted updates for all supported versions, allowing you to patch specific vulnerabilities immediately without waiting for a larger release window.
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  • Annual Security Patch (May): Once a year, usually in May, a major security bundle will be released. This cumulative patch rolls up all the isolated fixes from the previous months into one package. (Note: An additional security patch may drop in November if urgent needs arise, but it isn’t guaranteed).
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  • Annual Full Patch Release (May): Also landing in May, this is the full platform update for the 2.4.x LTS line. This is where you will find new features, performance improvements, and general stabilisation work.

What This Means for Merchants

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Moving to a monthly cadence might sound like more work, but the goal is actually to smooth out the spikes in maintenance. By isolating security fixes, teams can react faster to threats without needing to perform full-scale regression testing every few months.

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Key Benefits:

  • Predictability: No more guessing when the next critical fix might drop.
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  • Agility: Faster response times to emerging security threats.
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  • Stability: Fewer massive "surprise" patches that disrupt your roadmap and require significant testing
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  • Clarity: A clearer upgrade path with a major annual focus point in May.

Learn More

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This new schedule represents a significant shift in how we plan for ongoing support and maintenance. For a deep dive into the official release calendar and technical specifics, we recommend reviewing the full documentation.

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You can find out more information here.