From June 5–7, 2025, our team at Themerex Web Design Studio joined the WordPress community in Basel, Switzerland for WordCamp Europe. This marked our seventh consecutive WCEU, and as always, it offered a unique mix of reflection, inspiration, and industry insight.
But this year felt different.
We arrived with questions:
- What’s next for WordPress in a fast-moving, increasingly SaaS-driven world?
- Will WP Engine’s ongoing experiments with AI and performance shift how we build?
- Are we still part of a truly innovative ecosystem?
We hoped for bold answers. Instead, we got caution. There was an underlying sense — from the main stage to side chats — that the platform is no longer setting the pace, but reacting to it.
Yet the numbers tell a different story. As of June 2025, approximately 43.5 % of all websites use WordPress — up from just 27.3 % in early 2017, marking a 16 pp gain over eight years. Within sites using a known CMS, WordPress commands a dominant 61–62 % share.
While this substantial market control signifies WordPress’s enduring influence, the year‑over‑year growth rate has slowed: gains of 1–1.5 pp annually now contrast with the ~2–3 pp annual jumps seen earlier in the decade.
WordPress Usage Over Time
Recent years show slower growth: +1–1.5 pp/year.
Insight: WordPress remains a web giant — but its rapid expansion has decelerated. The energy of relentless growth seems replaced by market maturity and cycle stability.
Basel: A City Built on Structure and Detail
Basel provided the perfect backdrop for reflection: quiet, clean, and efficient. Thanks to the BaselCard, navigating the city was easy, and we made time to enjoy its historic Old Town, riverside walks, and cultural corners. The atmosphere helped us settle in — but also sharpened the contrast with the cautious tone of the conference.
Before the Code: Reconnecting as a Team
Before sessions began, we explored the city together — something that helped us reconnect outside of deadlines and deliverables. That personal time was valuable, especially ahead of a conference that turned out to be less about what’s next, and more about holding steady. It reminded us that sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from simply being present—with each other and with where we are.
Contributor Day: Purpose Still Lives Here
We joined Contributor Day, with one of our team assisting with attendee check-ins. As always, this day brought out the best in the community: people helping people, no matter their skill level. Small contributions still feel meaningful here.
That said, even this event felt more procedural than pioneering. The big ideas — the things that once sparked excitement — felt quieter.
It was also hard not to notice a growing logistical strain. With Contributor Day now scheduled for Thursday and the main conference running Friday and Saturday, attendees effectively need to dedicate two full working days — something that can be tough for teams juggling client work and real-world deadlines. For many companies, that extra day starts to feel like a luxury — or a friction point.
Conference Days: Signals of Change — or of Slowdown?
We attended keynotes, visited booths, and connected with fellow attendees. The keynote “WordPress Without Borders”delivered emotional weight and reminded us of WordPress’s role in doing good globally.
For our team — coming from Ukraine — this talk held particular meaning. It was a powerful reminder that WordPress can transcend borders not just technically, but also socially and politically, connecting people even in times of upheaval.
Lightning talks touched on accessibility and user experience.
But something was missing. The talks were thoughtful — but not transformative. There was little that felt bold, disruptive, or new.
Many of our own hallway conversations echoed a shared feeling: WordPress no longer feels truly innovative. The energy that once came from rapid change and experimentation? It seems to be shifting elsewhere — into satellite projects like Elementor, Bricks, or external tooling.
(For context: Bricks is a relatively new visual page builder that’s growing quickly, especially among developers focused on performance and customization. It combines modern dev features like CSS variables and flexbox with a user-friendly visual interface — gaining traction as an alternative to traditional theme frameworks.)
And honestly — what’s going on with Gutenberg? It’s been years, but it still doesn’t feel central to the narrativeanymore.
Even more telling: we didn’t see some of the major players we’ve come to expect at WCEU. Envato, among others, was notably absent. These quiet gaps left a mark — and raised questions.
We also noticed that this year’s event had fewer attendees and sponsors overall.
📉 Attendance Numbers
Online years had significantly higher numbers.
This is the first in-person WCEU in years with under 2,000 attendees — a sign that momentum may be slowing.
Matt’s Q&A: Still the Heart of WCEU — But Quieter This Time
For many attendees — including our team — the most anticipated moment at any WordCamp Europe is the “Ask Matt Anything” session. It’s the one place where the founder of WordPress, Matt Mullenweg, answers direct questions from the community. No slides. No polish. Just live dialogue.
This year, though, even that felt different.
We came with expectations. In the weeks leading up to WCEU 2025, online chatter had picked up around growing tensions between WordPress leadership and major ecosystem players like WP Engine and GoDaddy. Developers and product teams were openly questioning the lack of shared vision, the growing dominance of external tooling, and what role — if any — the WordPress Core team would play in defining the platform’s next phase.
So naturally, we expected some of this to be addressed head-on at the conference — especially during Matt Mullenweg’s live Q&A session.
Instead, it was largely avoided.
There were questions from the audience that circled the issue, hinting at the strategic disconnects and asking about the role of commercial influence in open-source direction. But no one on stage seemed eager to go deep. The responses were diplomatic, sometimes vague, and mostly framed as “freedom of choice” — the idea that different people and companies trying different things is part of the open web’s strength.
To be fair, we understand why.
WordCamp isn’t designed to host conflict. It’s built around the spirit of collaboration — a space where contributors, agencies, hosts, and creators come together to celebrate WordPress, not challenge it. Addressing growing friction publicly, especially when it involves major sponsors or core contributors, could risk fracturing that fragile unity.
But at the same time, not addressing it leaves a gap — and a growing sense that the platform is being quietly pulled in multiple directions, without a clear voice anchoring the middle.
Developers were asking:
- Is the ecosystem splintering?
- Is there still shared direction?
So naturally, many of us hoped this Q&A would address the elephant in the room.
Some audience members asked strong, pointed questions — like whether WordPress Core was being too heavily shaped by corporate interests, or what role WP Engine’s Atlas and Faust.js would play in the future.
Matt, as always, stayed calm and diplomatic. His message was:
“This is what freedom looks like — different people trying different things. And some of it won’t align. But we can’t be afraid of that.”
Still, many of us felt that the real conversation hadn’t quite happened. We wanted a clearer vision, or at least stronger acknowledgment of the platform’s strategic drift.
There were also a few cringe moments: attendees who took the mic just to pitch their own services, or repeat tired anecdotes. One highlight was a tongue-in-cheek moment when someone shouted “Make WordPress sexy again!” — and Matt laughed, visibly amused. Even meta got meta.
But compared to Berlin or Porto, this Q felt muted. And that’s a loss.
The WP Engine Shift: A Quiet Redefinition
Much of this year’s subtle tension seemed to orbit WP Engine’s growing influence — not just as a host, but as a platform player reshaping workflows.
Their recent focus on AI-assisted development and their Atlas headless framework are redefining what it means to “build” with WordPress. It’s no longer just about PHP templates and plugin stacks — it’s about JavaScript-powered frontends, API-first design, and AI copilots that generate and optimize code.
This empowers new creators — but may also alienate long-time developers who feel the ground shifting beneath their feet.
In short: WP Engine isn’t just launching tools. They’re nudging the community toward a new mindset. And while that brings innovation, it also creates uncertainty.
The Venue and Experience
On a logistical level, Messe Basel was excellent — clean, green, and well-organized. Sustainable practices like reusable materials and local catering didn’t go unnoticed.
But emotionally, we missed the vibrant, high-energy atmosphere of past WordCamps — especially Berlin 2019, which still stands out as a creative peak.
The People Moments
Outside the formal sessions, we found value in the informal ones. The after-parties and casual meetups offered more honest discussions than many talks. It’s where people spoke openly — not just about features or performance, but about concern, fatigue, and a sense of slowing momentum.
We also saw fewer familiar faces — something that made the event feel a bit lonelier.
Still, we want to highlight a great talk from Sandra Kurze — “WaaS for Agencies: Opportunities, Challenges & Pricing Impact”. Her presentation stood out for its practical insight, grounded in real business experience — something many sessions lacked this year.
What We Took Back as Themerex
Helping with logistics gave us a renewed appreciation for the effort behind these events. Meeting old partners, finding new ones — that part never disappoints.
But if we’re honest, we came home with tempered expectations. For us, WordCamp Europe has become less about discovering the future, and more about staying grounded in the present.
Still, the people remain the reason to show up. The spirit of contribution and collaboration hasn’t vanished. It’s just quieter — and maybe waiting for something big to reignite it.
What’s Next?
- WP Engine’s developer tools and AI experiments are something to watch.
- Core features are evolving slowly — better admin UX is discussed, but few breakthroughs yet.
- Interest is shifting toward plugins and external ecosystems — where iteration is faster.
And yes: WordCamp Europe 2026 is set for Krakow.
We’ll be there — cautiously optimistic, and hoping for a spark.
Final Thoughts
- WP Engine’s developer tools and AI experiments are something to watch.
- Core features are evolving slowly — better admin UX is discussed, but few breakthroughs yet.
- Interest is shifting toward plugins and external ecosystems — where iteration is faster.
And yes: WordCamp Europe 2026 is set for Krakow.
We’ll be there — cautiously optimistic, and hoping for a spark.
