MCP adopts a fixed semi-annual release cycle for the spec

The Model Context Protocol's lead maintainers announced on November 11, 2026 that the MCP specification will move to a fixed six-month release cycle instead of ad hoc timing, as described in A More Predictable Release Cycle for MCP.

What's changing

• Two specification releases per year on a fixed six-month cadence, targeting the last Tuesday of March and the last Tuesday of September.
• The next specification release is targeted for March 30, 2027, versioned 2027-03-30.
• Planning for each cycle begins 8 months before release, and the Core Maintainer review window opens 6 months before release.
• A "soft freeze" lands 2.5 months before release, followed by Tier-1 SDK betas 1.5 months before release.
• A "hard freeze" occurs 1 month before release, with the spec itself publishing on release day.
• Luca Chang joins as a new release manager, alongside existing managers Den Delimarsky and David Soria Parra.

What it means for people who build with AI

For SDK authors, platform integrators, and enterprise adopters, a published roadmap replaces the informal timing used for earlier versions such as 2025-06-18, 2025-11-25, and 2026-07-28. Knowing the planning, freeze, and beta windows in advance reduces the risk of being caught off guard by spec changes when upgrading MCP clients and servers.

Background and what comes next

The new cadence comes from SEP-3398: Release Cycle Updates, a proposal created on September 17, 2026 and accepted on October 14, 2026. Under the new schedule, the next specification release remains targeted for March 30, 2027.

Sources

• A More Predictable Release Cycle for MCP (Model Context Protocol, November 11, 2026, official)
• SEP-3398: Release Cycle Updates (Model Context Protocol, official)

Written with AI assistance, strictly from the sources listed above. Before it went live, automated checks verified its dates, sources and every language edition.