Laravel 12: Release Date, Features, and Everything You Need to Know

Taylor Otwell, the creator of Laravel, announced several ground-breaking updates at the recent Laracon EU that will change the way we develop, deploy, and monitor Laravel applications.From the introduction of Laravel Cloud to the early access of Laravel Nightwatch, here's a recap of everything announced that's poised to elevate the Laravel ecosystem.

This year, the Laravel framework's core focus is on maintenance, updating upstream dependencies, and delivering brand new starter kits:

This is primarily a maintenance focused release that updates upstream dependencies and has minimal breaking changes or major few features.

Because of that, the vast majority of applications will be able to upgrade with no changes to your application's code. 🚀

As more and more applications are built with Laravel, we're focusing on shipping new features continually throughout the year without breaking changes, with our yearly releases being utilized to update dependencies or address new PHP version compatibility.

This year's Laravel 11 releases have included numerous notable features, and Laravel 12 will be regularly updated as the year progresses.

Laravel 12: Release Date, Features, and Everything You Need to Know

Laravel 12, the highly anticipated next iteration of the beloved PHP framework, is set to launch on February 24th, 2025. Packed with performance upgrades, developer-centric tools, and modern features, this release continues Laravel’s tradition of empowering developers to build robust, scalable applications. Below, we break down the key highlights, new features, and steps to prepare for this milestone release.

Laravel 12 Release Date and PHP Requirements

Mark your calendars! Laravel 12 will officially debut on February 24th, 2025, aligning with the framework’s annual major release cycle. To leverage its capabilities, ensure your environment runs PHP 8.2 or higher, which introduces critical improvements like read-only classes and enhanced type systems.

Key Features and Improvements in Laravel 12

1. Performance Enhancements

Laravel 12 focuses heavily on optimizing speed and efficiency, with upgrades to:

• Routing mechanisms: faster route resolution and reduced overhead.
• Caching strategies: Improved cache management for high-traffic applications.
• Database query handling: smarter eloquent ORM optimizations to minimize redundant queries.

2. Laravel Reverb: Built-in WebSocket Server

Reverb, Laravel’s first-party web socket server, enables real-time communication without third-party services. Features include:

• Horizontal scaling via Redis for distributed systems.
• SSL/TLS support for secure connections.
• Blazing-fast performance with PHP’s event-driven architecture.

3. Cloud Starter Kits (New!)

Simplify cloud deployments with pre-configured Cloud Starter Kits for platforms like AWS, DigitalOcean, and Google Cloud. These kits offer:

• Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) templates for serverless and containerized setups.
• CI/CD pipelines tailored for cloud environments.
• Security best practices for cloud-native applications.

4. Enhanced Developer Experience

• Streamlined workflows: New Artisan commands and simplified configurations (e.g., optional config directory).

• Debugging tools: A revamped exception page with dark/light mode, copyable stack traces, and environment diagnostics.

• Improved CLI: The schedule:list command displays cron jobs, and custom namespaces simplify class generation (e.g., php artisan make:controller Admin/UserController).

5. New Features and APIs

• Eloquent ORM improvements: dynamic castings() method for runtime type casting and better IDE support.

• Blade enhancements: smoother front-end rendering with new directives.

• Queue optimizations: The once() method prevents duplicate jobs, even during retries.

• Enum route bindings: Automatic resolution of enum parameters in routes (e.g., /orders/{status}).

6. Security Upgrades

• Stronger encryption: Enhanced hashing algorithms for passwords and sensitive data.

• Vulnerability safeguards: built-in protections against XSS, CSRF, and SQL injection.

• Authentication refinements: updated practices for OAuth2 and JWT integrations.

7. Compatibility with Modern PHP

Laravel 12 embraces PHP 8.2+ features and ensures compatibility with the latest tools in the ecosystem, including Vite, Pest, and Inertia.js.

Deprecated Features

• datecast with format: Use datetime casts with ->format() instead.

• HEADER_X_FORWARDED_ALL: Replace with explicit headers for proxy trust settings.

How to Prepare for Laravel 12

1. Upgrade Dependencies: Ensure existing projects use Laravel 11.x and PHP 8.2+.

2. Review the Upgrade Guide: Check Laravel’s official documentation for breaking changes.

3. Test beta releases: experiment with beta versions to identify migration issues early.
4. Explore Cloud Starter Kits: Familiarize your team with cloud deployment templates.
5. Stay Updated: Follow Laravel News and community forums for real-time updates.

Why Laravel 12 Matters

Laravel 12 reinforces the framework’s position as a leader in PHP development. With Reverb for real-time apps, Cloud Starter Kits for effortless deployments, and a sharper focus on performance and security, developers can build future-proof applications faster than ever.

Final Thoughts

Laravel 12 is more than an update—it’s a leap forward. Whether you’re crafting real-time dashboards, scalable APIs, or cloud-native platforms, this release equips you with cutting-edge tools.

Ready to dive in? Start planning your upgrade today and join the conversation on social media: What’s your most anticipated feature in Laravel 12?

Further Reading:

• Laravel 12 Documentation
• Getting Started with Cloud Starter Kits
• PHP 8.2 Features Explained

How to Try Laravel 12 for a New Project

If you want your laravel new command to install Laravel 12, you need to upgrade your Laravel Installer.

composer global update laravel/installer

If you use Laravel Herd, you should upgrade Herd itself. Its latest version contains the newest version of Laravel Installer. Don't ask me how I found out.

And that's basically it; run laravel new project and enjoy!