Java 27, the reference implementation of Java 27, is now generally available for production use, according to an announcement from the OpenJDK project. Build 35 serves as the final release candidate and GA build, becoming available after no P1 bugs were reported since the second release candidate shipped on August 20.
GPL-licensed OpenJDK builds from Oracle are available at jdk.java.net/27, with builds from other vendors expected to follow.
The release includes nine Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs). Key features include:
JEP 523 makes G1 the default garbage collector across all environments, replacing the previous default behavior.
JEP 527 introduces post-quantum hybrid key exchange for TLS 1.3, addressing emerging cryptographic security considerations.
JEP 534 enables compact object headers by default, a structural optimization for memory efficiency.
JEP 536 adds JFR in-process data redaction capabilities for Java Flight Recorder, improving monitoring and diagnostics.
Several features continue in preview or incubator status. JEP 531 delivers lazy constants in its third preview phase. JEP 532 advances primitive types in patterns, instanceof, and switch expressions to their fifth preview. JEP 533 reaches its seventh preview for structured concurrency, a programming model for managing concurrent tasks. JEP 537 brings the Vector API to its twelfth incubator iteration. JEP 538 offers PEM encodings of cryptographic objects in its third preview.
Beyond the nine major JEPs, the release includes hundreds of smaller enhancements and thousands of bug fixes across the platform. The announcement credited contributors who participated in designing, implementing, and testing features, as well as those who reported and fixed bugs throughout the early-access build cycle.
Key facts
- Java 27 is now generally available with Build 35 as the GA release
- The release includes nine JEPs covering garbage collection, cryptography, and concurrency
- G1 garbage collector is now the default across all environments
- Post-quantum hybrid key exchange added to TLS 1.3 support
- Hundreds of smaller enhancements and thousands of bug fixes included