Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, announced a significant reduction in its contributions to the WordPress open-source project, cutting weekly development hours from 3,988 to 45 under the “Five for the Future” initiative. The company cited ongoing legal battles with WP Engine and intense criticism from the community as reasons for the cutback. CEO Matt Mullenweg, who co-founded WordPress, has publicly clashed with WP Engine, calling it a “cancer” to the community. WP Engine previously sued Automattic over Mullenweg’s actions, and a judge granted an injunction against him.
The legal dispute and internal tensions have led to employee departures from Automattic and the dissolution of WordPress.org’s sustainability team. This decision, attributed to Mullenweg, has drawn criticism from the WordPress community, including journalist Kara Swisher. Automattic expressed hope that WP Engine would reconsider its lawsuit to allow the company to refocus on supporting WordPress’s growth.