Hold onto your graphics tablets, folks—Blender 4.4 has officially entered beta as of February 6, 2025. The development team is now focusing solely on bug fixes, while Blender 4.5 development kicks off. This beta phase invites users to test the new features and provide feedback to ensure a polished final release.
A Familiar Face on the Splash Screen
Upon launching Blender 4.4, users are greeted by a new splash screen featuring the protagonist from the Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning animated film Flow, created entirely with Blender. Director Gints Zilbalodis recently shared insights into his Blender experience, discussing his solo approach to lighting and rendering for Flow.
Animation Gets Organized with Slotted Actions
In the realm of animation and rigging, Blender 4.4 introduces Slotted Actions. This feature allows animators to store animations of multiple entities within the same Action, streamlining the management of complex scenes.
Compositor Enhancements: A Clearer Glare
The Compositor has received significant updates, notably a complete overhaul of the Glare node. These improvements aim to provide more control and better results in post-production workflows.
Grease Pencil and Geometry Nodes: More Power to the Pencil
Grease Pencil continues to evolve, with updates enhancing its functionality for 2D animation within the 3D environment. Geometry Nodes have also seen advancements, offering more flexibility for procedural modeling tasks.
Get Involved: Test and Provide Feedback
Blender 4.4 is in beta until March 12, 2025. Users are encouraged to download the beta version and test the new features, reporting any issues or feedback to help refine the final release. As always, it’s wise to thoroughly test new tools before integrating them into production projects.
For a detailed overview of the new features and to download the beta, visit the official Blender website. Stay tuned for more updates as Blender continues to push the boundaries of open-source 3D creation.
Note: All features mentioned are sourced directly from the official Blender 4.4 beta release nptes.
