Blender 4.4, expected to focus on NPR, has moved into the next phase of its release cycle. From now on, work will be focused solely on bug fixing while Blender 4.5 development has officially begun. This means, as usual, that the software is now ready for public testing, and users are encouraged to test it and report any issues or feedback.
The new splash screen features none other than the protagonist from the Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning animated film Flow, which was created entirely with Blender. Recently, Flow’s director, Gints Zilbalodis, sat down with Blender for an exclusive interview, talking about his experience mastering Blender, handling the lighting and rendering for Flow on his own, and sharing the tools used in the production, so check it out if you missed it.
Aside from the most adorable splash screen ever, Blender 4.4 seems to have received a thorough update across its entire toolset. A key new feature in animation and rigging workflows is the introduction of Slotted Actions, which lets you store the animations of multiple “things” within the same Action. The Compositor has also seen several changes, including updates to various nodes, with the Glare node getting a complete overhaul.
See the latest updates in Geometry Nodes, improvements to Grease Pencil, and what’s new in sculpting and rendering workflows here. Blender 4.4 is currently in beta until March 12th, so download and start testing it out.
There’s also Blender’s official roadmap for 2025 available, outlining the plans for this year. Don’t forget to check out our latest interview with Blender’s Head of Product Dalai Felinto where he discusses Blender’s most notable successes in 2024 and what’s coming next.
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