Maxon has officially announced the end of ZBrushCore and ZBrushCoreMini, the two simplified versions of its professional sculpting software ZBrush. According to the official FAQ, both products will enter Limited Maintenance Mode on May 30, 2025. From this date, ZBrushCore will no longer be available for purchase, and ZBrushCoreMini will not be available for download. Existing users may continue to use the software; however, no new enhancements will be released.
Monthly subscription licenses of ZBrushCore will renew until September 30, 2025. Technical support for ZBrushCore will be provided until the same date. After that, no further updates or installations will be possible. Users are advised to back up their installers and documentation before the deadline.
Shift in Focus: All Roads Lead to ZBrush
With the departure of Core and Mini, Maxon is focusing all development and support efforts on the full version of ZBrush. According to Maxon, this move is intended to align the Desktop and iPad versions of ZBrush. A new Freemium version of ZBrush Desktop is on its way, aiming to provide a free entry point for users. Details about this upcoming version are yet to be announced.
For anyone still using ZBrushCore or ZBrushCoreMini in training contexts, classrooms, or budget-limited workflows, this change likely requires a significant pipeline reevaluation. There is no mention of any transition offers or pricing discounts for Core users looking to upgrade to ZBrush. As of now, pricing information for ZBrush is only available directly via Maxon.
What’s Next?
Maxon’s discontinuation of ZBrushCore and Mini is part of a broader product consolidation strategy. While this simplifies the product line on paper, it also removes low-cost entry points for students, hobbyists, and studios who preferred using stripped-down tools for quick sculpting tasks or prototyping.
Whether this strategy pays off for Maxon will depend on how many users are willing to jump to the fully-featured version of ZBrush, with its deeper learning curve and steeper cost. For production artists, it’s important to note that any ZTool (ZTL), ZProject (ZPR), or other related ZBrushCore or ZBrushCoreMini files can be loaded into the current full version of ZBrush. But as with any workflow change, stability and usability should be tested thoroughly before adjusting pipelines or onboarding new licenses.
Final Reminder
ZBrushCore and ZBrushCoreMini are still accessible for current users – but only until September 30, 2025. After that, the lights go out. No more downloads, no more installs, no more support. So if you’ve got a favorite sculpting file from 2019 or an installer buried in your downloads folder, now’s the time to back it up.
As always, try before you trust: don’t adopt new workflows or retire old ones without rigorous testing, especially in a production context.
