Release of Blender 5.0: A Revolution in Color Accuracy, Performance and Animation

November 19, 2025

On November 18, 2025 the official release of Blender 5.0 took place—marking the next major leap in the evolution of the popular free 3D package. This version follows a two-year development cycle since the release of Blender 4.0 and focuses on a deep overhaul of core systems to meet the demands of modern studios and independent artists.

Key highlights:

• Color & display. One of the most significant changes is full support for HDR and wide-gamut color: introducing displays Rec. 2100-PQ/HLG, updated ACES 1.3/2.0 transforms and the new AgX HDR representation—delivering astonishing color fidelity on modern monitors. On Linux, Wayland and Vulkan backend are now required for full compatibility.

• Performance & rendering. A new volumetric rendering algorithm based on null scattering has been introduced, speeding up work with smoke, fog and other volumetric effects. Point-cache compression support (Zstd) has been added, and Vulkan support is improved for higher performance on compatible GPUs.

• Geometry & modifiers. Six new geometry-node-based modifiers are now available, giving artists expanded capabilities for procedural modeling and animation. The curve rendering system has been updated with a new “Cylinder” parameter for thick-curve visualization without distortions.

• Workflow & UI. Blender 5.0 introduces an entirely new storyboard workspace—ideal for animators and directors. The UI underwent a major “cleanup”: themes simplified, over 300 legacy settings removed, and dozens of usability enhancements added such as drag-and-drop in the Shape Key list and side-panel docking.

• Other improvements. The release includes a basic human mesh package for realistic skeleton creation, and around 500 bugs have been fixed for greater stability.

System requirements:

To fully benefit from the new rendering features you’ll need a modern GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 900 / Quadro Tesla, AMD GCN 4th-gen or Intel Kaby Lake and newer.

Blender 5.0 marks a new phase in the project’s evolution, turning professional-grade 3D tools into something even more accessible, powerful and user-friendly. If you work in visualization, animation or are developing your own 3D project—now is the perfect time to upgrade and explore the advantages of this new version.