Introduction
Released today, Drupal 9 builds directly on Drupal 8. Unlike previous major versions, this release does not introduce a major technical shift, but rather a controlled and incremental evolution.
The goal is clear: modernize the ecosystem while making upgrades easier for existing projects.
An update built on Drupal 8
Drupal 9 is directly based on Drupal 8.
In practice:
- No major architectural changes
- Full compatibility with Drupal 8 best practices
- Updated dependencies
Drupal 9 is essentially Drupal 8… without deprecated code.
Removal of deprecated code
The main change is the removal of all APIs that were marked as deprecated in Drupal 8.
This means:
- A cleaner core
- More maintainable code
- The need to update custom modules
If your code does not trigger deprecation warnings in Drupal 8, it is ready for Drupal 9.
Updated dependencies
Drupal 9 updates its main dependencies:
- Symfony 4 → Symfony 5
- Twig 1 → Twig 2
- Modernized JavaScript libraries
These updates improve performance and security.
Simplified upgrade path
One of the key goals of Drupal 9 is to simplify upgrades.
The process relies on:
- Identifying deprecations
- Incrementally updating code
- Using tools such as
upgrade_status
Upgrading becomes an ongoing process rather than a large migration project.
Continuity of best practices
Drupal 9 reinforces the foundations introduced in Drupal 8:
- Symfony-based architecture
- Twig templating
- YAML configuration management
- API-first approach
No paradigm shift, just consolidation.
Focus on stability and long-term maintainability
With Drupal 9, the project adopts a more predictable release cycle:
- Regular minor releases
- Anticipated deprecations
- Better visibility for development teams
The goal is to reduce the impact of future major upgrades.
Conclusion
Drupal 9 represents an important step in the project's evolution.
This version:
- Removes deprecated code
- Updates key dependencies
- Simplifies the upgrade process
Rather than a revolution, Drupal 9 is a step toward a more stable, maintainable, and sustainable Drupal.